New Generation
by TheDoloresSuicides
Summary: Sakura has a mysterious past. Once a fallen star, an apprentice to the Sage of the Six Paths and taken care of Nagato, Konan and Yahiko before transferring to Konoha with the Ten Tails within her, she struggles to cope with her new life in Team 7. Rated T for swearing.
1. Chapter 1

First ever story here in Fanfiction! Hope you enjoy the first chapter...might be a bit confusing but you'll get the hang of it! (I hope)

New Generation: Chapter One

It was a cool night in Konoha, the leaves rustled as the breeze whistled by and the moon shone down, it's pale rays illuminating the sleeping city. A lone figure stood in the mountain, staring at the night sky sighing. It had been a busy day for him, travelling endlessly to each district and village, spreading his religion hopefully to cause some sort of plague so the whole world could know of his religion. To no avail, none had paid attention, but as he clenched his wooden cane and stared at the night sky, he knew one day that everybody would look up to him as a powerful shinobi who changed the world. When he had told this to the people of Konoha, they merely laughed at him whilst some pitied him, saying he should go back to his preisthood. The man recalled his memories today as he hungrily devoured his bread, his stomach shamelessly growling for more. Suddenly, he noticed a shimmer falling from the sky, leaving a shiny trail of dust-like rocks. The preist narrowed his eyes and stood up, his appetite lost as he ran to discover what his curiosity lead him to. He followed the star with inhuman speed, passing through the gigantic, shady trees as he leapt from tree to tree. He paused as the star fell and collided with the earth which created an explosion. The earth shattered into two, and as dust slowly fell into the ground and everything was quiet, the preist walked slowly to the centre of the destruction and gasped. There laid a young, beautiful girl who had an unholy glow to her. The man was suddenly bewitched by her exotic looks and her strange pink hair, which was in a choppy and short hairstyle that lay on her head like a halo. The girl was wearing a silver dress, with bare feet and a chain around her neck. She had no bruises whatsoever, as if she had not been affected by the falling. Slowly, she opened her eyes and shocking, green eyes met his, she seemed to stare for a moment before she slowly returned her gaze to the sky.  
"...where am I?" she whispered quietly, the man was stunned for a moment, exhaling sharply. He paused, wondering what he should say. This girl had an eerie atmosphere to her, deadly and frightening, but as he did not answer, the girl shot him a sharp look and he stepped back slowly.  
"Your at Earth" he replied. The girl gave him a puzzling look before slowly standing up, dusting the dirt from her white dress. She looked up again and suddenly her eyes turned a clear, sapphire blue that shimmered. The preist was in shock and wonder, breathless with awe and amazement. Her eyes turned back into emerald green and she narrowed her eyes at him.  
"Your a preist" she, nodding slowly. The man's eyebrows tilted and he gave her a startled look. The girl whispered something under her breath and slowly, chakra formed in her hands. The man's eyes widened and he stepped back, excited yet frightened at the same time. There was strange energy releasing from the gir as she slowly lifted her gaze to the sky. She paused, and there was silence before she exclaimed with anger and bitter dissapointment.  
"It won't work!" she screamed, staring at the sky. Suddenly, tears formed in the corners of her eyes and she sobbed, clawing at the silver necklace that hung in her neck.  
The man watched as she tore her skin ruthlessly, trying to break the chain, but to no avail. The girl stopped, breathing shaky breaths as she slowly curled into a ball in the ground. The preist was hit by sudden sympathy for the poor girl, even though he never knew what it felt not to turn back into a star and fly back home, he was distraught by her cries. She sobbed and pushed her pink locks away, revealing a tear stained face with puffy eyes and a pale face. The young girl stared at the man, sad and empty.  
"Help me, please" she begged, crawling towards him. The preist backed away, confused that she had turned to him for comfort and care. The preist frowned, knowing what people might say about him. Dirty rumours would go around saying that this young girl was his child, a godchild-but then again, he could just tell them he found this young girl and decided to take care of her until a good parent would come along, willing to take care of her. The man sighed and walked closer to the girl and knelt down, smiling.  
"Come on, I'll show you my house" he said gently. The man stood up and held his hand, the young girl took it and stood up and they walked away from the chaos in the night, voyaging to a new fresh start not just for the young girl, but for the man as well.

Ten years later...

The room was deathly silent as Sakura entered the room slowly, trying not to look at the body lying in the wooden bed. She chewed her bottom lip, refusing the tears that could run down her cheeks. The man beckoned for her, and for a moment, Sakura exhaled before running and hugging the man tightly, crying and sobbing.  
"Don't leave me! Don't die" she whispered. The man managed a weak smile and patted her head, before wiping the tears from her cheeks that were running down. The candle flickered and the window opened, letting a breeze come in. The moon was glowing brightly, illuminating both of the faces inside the small room. Sakura clutched the bedsheets and cried harder, her body shaking violently. It wasn'y fair that he was leaving her forever by herself, it wasn't fair that she would have nobody now, that she had to face this cruel world on her own.  
"I've got a gift for you" the man said weakly. Sakura looked up suddenly, breathing heavily as she held her father-figure's hand. Slowly, chakra generated from his hand and it pointed to the moon, and slowly something lifted from the man's chest. It was a black heart, circuling wildly and beating violently. Sakura gasped as he forced it into her chest, she screamed loudly feeling pain gripping her body and fell to the floor like a rag doll. The man did a seal in her stomach, before crying softly and lifting the girl in his arms.  
"You are to reincarnate into your baby self in the new generation with the Ten Tailed Beast" he said softly, then a burst of white chakra flooded the room and slowly the young girl in his hands dissappeared, as if she was never there. A jolt of greif and sadness clenched his bones and he closed his eyes as his vision became blurry, until it dissappeared completely. Moments later, two young boys the sons of the man who knew nothing of the prophecy girl, entered the room, silent and bowing their heads as their father died in the bed, molding into the soft mattress.

The new generation...

The baby self of Sakura appeared underneath a shady tree, sleeping silently. She was bundled in a thick white cloth, with nothing on but a necklace around her neck and the sealing marks on her stomach. Out of nowhere, a blue haired young ninja came running past, laughing. She stopped when she saw the baby and ran to it, her eyes wide with awe and adoration. The young girl put the baby in her arms and looked around, before cuddling it.  
"Yahiko, Nagato, Jiraiya-sensei!" the girl yelled. The baby opened her eyes, revealing startled green eyes and the young blue haired girl smiled. Soon, two boys and her sensei arrived, panting with worried expressions.  
"What happened? Are you hurt-  
Jiraiya stopped when she saw the baby cradled in her young students's arms, laughing as Konan tickled her softly. Nagato and Yahiko exchanged looks, before kneeling down beside Konan. The sensei sighed, knowing where this was going to lead to.  
"Konan, I know what your thinking but no! We cannot keeping this baby" Jiraiya said, crossing his arms. Konan begged him, and he agreed and she took her to their hideout and soon Nagato and Yahiko got attached to the young girl, as well as Jiraiya but he was far too stubborn to show it. In the end he loved and cared deeply for Sakura, and soon enough, the baby grew to a young girl, not knowing her mysterious past that involved the legendary Sage of the Six Paths. _

With me so far? Hope you enjoyed the first chapter and sorry if it's a bit wordy!


	2. Chapter 2

Years later...

"Konan, you know we can't keep her anymore" Pein whispered. Konan gave him a pained look as she stared at the young girl play around in the field, picking flowers. Nagato nodded in agreement and both men stared at Konan, waiting for her judgement. She did, but it wasn't what they expected.  
"How can you do this to me?" She's like a daughter!" Konan cried, tears running down her cheeks. Pein and Nagato felt pain and anger run through their veins, they too had grown attatched to the young girl they had found many years ago. But they had to give her up, soon enough Leader-sama would have his supiciouns, and they would soon find themselves dead for betrayal and lies. Konan knew the consequences of her actions, she knew she was walking on thin ice but she could not bear to leave Sakura alone and distraught. There was a loud silence, intense and scary. Konan exhaled sharply exhaled sharply and rubbed her temples, she couldn't look at Sakura-it would just make her have a nervous break down and break into hysterical cries.  
Slowly, yet hesitantly, she nodded and Nagato and Pein squeezed her hands, the faintest of smiles reaching their faces. "We'll do the reincarnation technique. She'll be transformed into her baby self in Konoha, where she will grow up not knowing us" Nagato said. Konan clenched her fist and chewed her bottom lip, gripping her Akatsuki cloak tightly. It wasn't fair, Konan thought as she sobbed quietly, careful so that Sakura could not hear. But it was for the best, two years ago they had discovered Sakura was the host for the Ten Tails as their 'daughter' had confessed to them, crying of pain inside her stomach that generated powerful chakra. They had to give her up, because their leader had a plan to combine all the tailed beast and contain it into one, and seal it within him. He would kill Sakura instantly when he found out the terrible truth, and would kill Nagato, Pain and herself for lying all those years.  
"In one condition" Konan whispered. The two men exchanged glances and stared at Konan, who wiped a tear that was forming in her eyes. She stared at her lap for a few moments, before returning her gaze to the two men. Nagato and Pain felt sympathy as they stared at Konan, never had they seen this strong woman be so weak, so fragile and so helpless. It was not like her, considering she was the strongest female they had met.  
"...she must not suffer through the process. She must be sleeping while we do this and must not feel any pain at all" Konan countinued. The two men nodded and soon enough, it was official. They were to meet at midnight, miles and miles away from the Akatsuki hideout with Sakura in the abondened warehouse, where they would begin the awful process of sending Sakura away as a baby to Konoha. Meanwhile, Nagato was forbidden to work, only to sleep and eat in order to build up his chakra as this powerful jutsu took hours to complete. It was midnight before they knew it, and they were soon inside the warehouse with a sleeping Sakura lying on a wooden desk. Konan, Pein and Nagato nodded, before slitting their wrists and bathing Sakura in their blood. Soon, Nagato began the jutsu and as hours passed, sweat trickled down on Nagato's forehead and slowly, Sakura dissapeared. Konan clenched her fingers and knelt down to the dissapearing form of Sakura,  
tenderly kissing her forehead.  
"Mummy Konan, Daddy Pain and Uncle Nagato love you, dearest Sakura" she said, before the form of Sakura completely dissapeared and what was left was three greif stricken people, crying silently as their companion, their daughter-their everything, dissapeared right in front of their eyes.

In Konoha...

It was a normal day for the Third Hokage as he strolled along the peaceful forest. It had been a busy day at the office, yet again with the constant nagging of the Elders,  
the annoying paperwork and the finance problems. Nowadays, there wasn't any more missions that paid a lot and it annoyed the Third. But seeing the peaceful atmosphere,  
had calmed him down a bit as he walked, hands behind him. His thoughts consisted of the conversation, or rather arguement, he had with the Elders when he announced that he was adopting Naruto. They had been shocked, and refused the offer annoyingly enough, the Third thought bitterly as he recollected his memories of that annoying council. He paused and sighed, staring at the sky and a breif image of Minato came to his mind. The Third imagined his smile, warmth and grace and smiled, knowing that maybe one day Naruto would be like his father-if only he stopped messing about all the time. But he couldn't blame the kid, the villagers despised him because of the Nine Tails trapped within himself. He knew Naruto wanted to be well known and famous and to be a Hokage one day, but everybody laughed bitterly at him so her turned to his second option of getting attention-causing mischeif. The Third chuckled at the countless times Naruto caused a chaotic mess in Konoha. He was so busy thinking that he nearly tripped over a white bundle of cloth lying under the shady tree, but he stopped himself and sighed with relief, glancing around for any witnesses. The Hokage stared down at the bundle of cloth and realized-to his amazement-it was a baby.  
"Itachi!" he cried. A young boy with raven black hair and deep dark eyes appeared by his and bowed deeply with respect. The Hokage felt pride and sympathy for the young boy,  
knowing that he was merely a tool for his clan, but he snapped back to the problem that he was stuck in. The Hokage collected the baby girl in his arms, who slowly started crying and he nervously stammered. "There now..." the Third said, swaying the baby softly. It only made matters worse as the baby started howling, and the Hokgae nervously paced about. Itachi could not help but smile at the scene displayed in front of him but as the Hokage placed the baby in his arms and started to play with Itachi's hair much to his annoyance. The Third sighed heavily, wondering what was worng with him, I mean why did babies always prefere Itachi? It was so unfair. The Hokage cleared his throat and straightened his robe,  
before giving the eldest Uchiha orders.  
"Take her to my office...I'll place her in my care. Now Naruto has a playmate!" The Hokage said cheerfully. The two figures slowly made their way to the building.

Three years later...

A young Sakura cried heavily as the girls kicked her in the stomach and pulled her hair, laughing and poking at her large forehead. One of them, a girl named Ami, laughed cheerfully as she punched her in in the cheek. The rest of the girls cheered her on, and began throwing rocks and sand at her. Sakura sobbed and covered herself with her skinny arms and cried.  
"You've got such a large forehead!"

"Freak of nature!"

"You're not supposed to live, your so pathetic!"

They gave her a powerful kick in the stomach and sent her hurtling to the tree trunk. Sakura coughed up blood as her spine connected with the tree trunk and they laughed at her, running away when they saw their mothers collecting them. Sakura slowly sat up and leaned agaisnt the tree, crying as blood spilt from her bruises and pain surging through her veins as the swollen bruises throbbed. She closed her eyes, but felt a prescence in front of her and opened her eyes, tears running down her cheeks. There was a scruffy, blonde boy with wide cerulean blue eyes and whiskers on his cheeks. Sakura stared at him for a while and looked down at her lap, her lips trembling.  
"Please don't hurt me" she whimpered, crying. The boy knelt down and ruffled her hair, grinning. Sakura was surprised, this was the first boy she met that didn't try to harm her in any way. She then realized who this boy was and her eyes widened. His like me, she thought as she touched her stomach, his a host for the tailed beast but I don't think he knows. The boy sighed, snapping her back to life.  
"Why do you let them do that?" he asked. Sakura was silent for a moment, before shrugging. She wanted to become his friend so badly, they would understand eachother.  
"Wheres your parents?" he asked, and Sakura noted the bitterness in his voice. Sakura exhaled for a moment, before she replied with pain in her voice.  
"I never had any, I never even met them" she whispered. They boy's eyes widened and she sat down in front of her, inspecting her for a bit before relaxing his tensed muslces.  
"Same here" he replied simply. There was an awkward silence, and the boy had willed up enough courage to ask the girl something he had hoped with all his being, she would accept. "Do you want to be my friend?" he asked quietly. Sakura stared at him, stunned and happy. This boy wanted to be her friend! she thought joyfully with glee. Suddenly the boy blushed and stammered.  
"I mean, you don't have to..." he said, dissapointed. The girl laughed and the boy was startled by her mood swings. "I want to be your friend!" she said. The boy grinned with happiness and he helped her up, supporting her as she walked to the nearest swing.  
"I'm Naruto by the way!" he said energeticlly. The girl laughed and Naruto blushed as she sat down on the swing. "I'm Sakura" she replied shyly. Naruto sat on the swing beside her, and they laughed and joked around, both of them feeling warmth in their chest as a new friendship,  
a new bond that could last a lifetime formed with just one smile.

I promise to update faster! I hope you've enjoyed this xxx

Reviews please xxx


	3. Chapter 3

Third chapter! Happy my new story is making progress xxx

_  
Years later...

Naruto proudly walked inside the classroom in the Ninja Academy, wearing his new headband with the Konoha symbol with pride. He surveyed the room, looking for his pink haired best friend, but she wasn't anywhere to be seen. He was so proud of himself! He had finally passed and had been accepted into the Ninja Academy,  
which was one step to his ambitious goal. All those years of studying with passionate dedication, courage and help from Sakura had resulted to this day. You should've seen him when he received the headband, he was practiclly crying of happiness. How could he ever thank Sakura for wasting her time helping him? She was a god send and he swore to protect her from this day and onwards. He had grown fond of Sakura, and was rather thankful she didn't end up like most girls who ogled that Uchiha brat,  
necause Sakura had stayed the same, calm and cool. Their bond had grown stronger, they were like siblings, tight as twins and could communicate with just one single face expression. Just when Naruto was about to sit in the fourth row and to save a seat for Sakura, Shikamaru stepped in front of him, a surprised expression in his face.  
"So you finally passed, that's a miracle Naruto" he said lazily, yawning. Naruto twitched and narrowed his eyes, he couldn't believe Iruka-sensei had made Shikamaru pass!  
He was the laziest person he ever met in his life.  
"Better believe it, Shikamaru!" Naruto cried. The young boy raised a brow before sitting next to Chouji, who happily ate his bag of chips he always had with him. Naruto saw that Kiba and Akamaru were there too, and when Kiba saw him he laughed.  
"Naruto passed!" he said. Naruto flushed a deep scarlet, filled with emmbarrasment and anger but his attention drifted to the Uchiha brat, who was surronded by fan girls including the loud and obnoxious Ino herself. He pushed past the girls and eyed his rival, who glared at him. Ino sighed with annoyance and glared at Naruto, her hands in her hips.  
"Go away Naruto!" she said. Naruto ignored her and countinued to stare at Sasuke, who glared back with his dark eyes. Why do people say his amazing? Naruto thought,  
his nothing special. Shikamaru, who was sitting a row below the blood fued between Naruto and Sasuke, yawned and stretched his arms and accidently bumped his arm in Naruto's back which sent him flying forwards. The world was silent when the fan girls turned purple as they stared at Sasuke and Naruto doing the unthinkable.  
"...oh my god" Ino said, speechless in the first time in her life. Soon the silence ended when Kiba laughed loudly and Naruto stepped back, spitting and wiping his mouth with disgust. Sasuke turned purple with rage and disgust, wiping his mouth furiosly. Naruto whined and screamed with terror as he rubbed his lips furiosly.  
"I just got kissed by chicken butt!" he said, screaming like a little girl as he ran around the room. He suddenly stopped when he noticed the dark, threatening look the girls gave him. Naruto gulped and turned around slowly to meet Ino and the rest of the fan girls, cracking their knuckles. Ino was surronded by a deadly auro, Naruto whimpered and stepped back, scared to death.  
"Naruto..." Ino said, cracking her knuckles. Naruto shuddered and sheltered himself with his arms.

CRASH! BANG! SCREAM! CRASH! BANG! SCREAM!

Naruto was left, lying in the floor in a pool of blood. The girls and Ino backed away to the destruction they made and resumed their seats when the door opened slowly. Iruka sweat dropped when he saw Naruto's body and sighed, rubbing his temples and stared at the rows of innocent faced students-trying to find the culprit. As Iruka stared at Naruto who slowly made his way to the fourth row, his left brow twitched with annoyance. Iruka decided to ignore the half dead body of Naruto, deciding that it would be useless staring at those blue eyes who would beg him to take the day off

No.

He had to be strong. Period. Naruto was not going to let him down. As he was about to speak, he was rudely interrupted when the door opened again and in came none other than Sakura Haruno, dressed in a red top, blue pants with a kunai pouch and choppy, messy pink hair. Naruto-somehow-came back to life and cheerfully smiled at the prescene of his friend, he was becoming really scared of the looks Ino sent. Sakura sat in the empty seat next to Naruto and Iruka cleared his throat and began to speak.  
"Today is the day when I assign you to your teams, so please listen!" Iruka said. As he started to say teams, occasionally stopping to roll his eyes at the whining of his students. Seeing her name hadn't been mentioned yet, Sakura absent mindedly stared out of the window, bored beyond belief. Naruto, however, was sweating as he prayed that he would be assigned to Sakura's team, and if he didn't...well he would just have to blackmail the Hokage, wouldn't he?  
"Team 7...Sakura Haruno" Iruka began. Naruto perked up and Sakura shown small interest of who was in her team, though she could care less at the moment.  
"Naruto Uzumaki" the teacher countinued. Naruto stood up and wildly punched the air, screaming of happiness and joy. When he realized everybody was giving him strange look, he sat down looking sheepish and emmbarassed. Sakura shook her head-well, she was kind of expecting it anyways.  
"And Sasuke Uchiha" Iruka ended. Oh no, he thought as he backed away watching the entire population of girls ride from their seats, screaming with pain, sadness and agony. Soon he managed to calm the girls down eventually, but he couldn't ignore the looks they gave him. For god's sake, why was he so scared of genin! He was a man! But Iruka shrunk at the looks the girls gave him.  
He silently thanked Hinata and Sakura, who were the only ones acting decent and proper.  
"Today your meeting your new sensei's, so stay in this classroom until they come to collect you" he said finally, and sat down, letting his class chatter excitedly. Naruto whined and complained,  
sending threats to Sasuke who in return, remained silent and unmoving, but sending death glares to Naruto anyways. Sakura, who absent mindedly placed her feet in the desk, yawned and tugged on Naruto's arm, who turned around.  
"Stop it Naruto. Were going to be stuck with him, might as well get along" Sakura said. Naruto couldn't picture the day him and Sasuke could be friends, especially when they kissed, but he agreed with Sakura deep down inside, though he was too stubborn to show. He admired Sakura for her maturity and calm personality, and obediantly say down, chatting to Sakura and ignoring the Uchiha's existance. Sasuke was angry, deep down inside he was boiling with rage. Why, of all the people in this room, was he stuck with that dumb blonde? He eyed him carefully, as he talked to that pink haired girl.  
Well, he thought, at least I'm stuck with that girl, it could've been worse-I mean, imagine if I was stuck with Ino. Sasuke shuddered, and felt sympathy for Shikamaru who was annoyed by Ino's constant nagging. Morning turned into afternoon, and as the newly formed Team 7 watched the other students being collected by their new senseis, they were the last ones in he classroom, and an awkward silence hung in the air. Suddenly, Naruto chuckled evilly and Sakura and Sasuke gave him suspicious glances as he stood up and took the board eraser. Sakura, who anticipated Naruto's actions, sighed.  
"Naruto, stop it" she said. Naruto laughed and ignored Sakura, who rolled her eyes and stared out of the window. Sasuke was rather unimpressed by his childish actions and tilted his brow upwards.  
"Stupid, the guy's a jounin, he won't fall for it...dobe" Sasuke said, smirking at the new nickname he made up for the blonde. Naruto's left eye twitched and Sakura smiled, rather amused. "YOU TEME-  
Naruto stopped when he heard soft footsteps and he sat next to Sakura, trying to contain his laughter. Sakura waited, wanting to know the outcome and even Sasuke became interested. Suddenly, a man with a mask covering half of his face with tousled silver hair poked his head inside, and the board eraser fell on his head.

Silence.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! He fell for it!" Naruto said, laughing on the floor. Sasuke raised a brow and Sakura merely chuckled. The man was silent, staring at his new team before giving them a deep frown.  
"My first impression for you all...well, I hate you" he said bluntly. Sakura and Sasuke sweatdropped and they exited the classroom, with a laughing Naruto trailing behond them as they went to the roof. They sat down in front of their new sensei, who surveyed them. The kyuubi container, the last Uchiha and a girl that appeared randomly long ago, what an interesting team, he thought, but not easy. He cleared his throat and began.  
"So tell me about yourself, what your likes, dislikes and your goal" he said. The three genin stared at him intently and the man sweatdropped.  
"Well, I'm Kakashi. I guess I have some likes, I have many dislikes and I don't really have a goal" he said simply. The three genin raised a brow, but didn't pester any further. Kakashi looked silently at Naruto, urging him to begin first.  
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I love ramen and my best friend Sakura-chan! I hate Sasuke-teme and I'm going to be the future Hokage! Believe it!" he cried, energeticlly. Kakashi raised a brow and a memory of Minato came to his mind, he smiled underneath his mask at their uncanny resemblance. Kakashi then stared at the Uchiha kid, interested on what he was going to say.  
"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I don't have any likes and I have many dislikes. My goal is to kill a certain somebody" he said. A deadly auro surronded the Uchiha boy and Naruto backed away in fear, rather scared. Kakashi smirked underneath his mask-cocky and superior, he thought and then his gaze diverted to the female.  
"My name is Sakura Haruno. I guess I like stuff, and I don't have that much dislikes. Not sure about my goal, but that's my problem I guess" she said boredly. Kakashi raised a brow, not expecting the rather empty introduction.  
He hardly knew the other two genin in his team, but he did know a lot about that Naruto boy who had made it clear who he was. "Well, meet me in the training field at 3 in the morning and by the way" he said, pausing. Naruto listened intently, exaggerating his movements. Kakashi sweat dropped and cleared his throat.  
"Don't eat any breakfast, you might be sick" he said, smirking before dissapearing in smoke. Sakura sighed and stood up, stretching her tense muscles. She ran her finger through her messy hair and dragged Naruto down the stairs, before he could have another war with Sasuke. To her surprise, he let go of her grip and stood in the stairs, arms crossed with an angry look.  
"When I said my likes, I mentioned your name! But you didn't mention mine" he whined. Sakura laughed at his childlike antics and sighed, shaking her head back and forth. Naruto blushed for a second as he stared at Sakura laugh so freely and he felt adoration to his best friend.  
"Oh god Naruto, you weird person. Come on, let's go get ramen" she said, smiling. Naruto cheered and they both ran to the ramen shop. A lonely Sasuke watched them run, laugh and joking around as they pushed eachother playfully. He dug his hands inside his pocket and walked towards his empty apartment, where he would prepare necessart weapons for tomorrow's test. " 


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you so much for the favourites and the reviews! Makes me so happy, will keep updating more. I promise xxx

Training grounds, 3:00 am...

Naruto marched to the training grounds with a calm Sakura trailing behind him, thinking he was the earliest here in the training grounds but his smug satisfaction crashed to the ground when he saw Sasuke, casually leaning agaisnt a tree. Naruto whined and Sakura smacked him around the head, scolding him for his behaviour. Naruto looked sheepish, but was still rather annoyed. It was the longest three hours of the three genin's lives when finally, their new sensei decided to make a rather late appearance.

"YOUR LATE!" Naruto hollered. Kakashi smiled underneath his mask and put his tiny, orange book back inside his pocket.

"I'm so sorry, you seen an old lady-

"CUT THE CRAP!" Naruto yelled again. Kakashi winced at his loud voice and cleared his throat, unfortunetly his new team did not fall for his amazing acting skills and he decided to brush it away, though he was rather hurt. He pulled out two bells and smiled.

"You have to get these bells, you have until the evening" he said simply and attatched it to his belt. Sakura raised a brow and coughed, diverting attention towards her.

"Theres only two bells" she said, confused. Kakashi smiled again. Very observant, he thought as he examined the pink haired genin who gave him a suspicous look with her green eyes.

"Oh yes, I forgot. The two that get these are the winners, the one who doesn't gets tied up in a pole and watch the rest of his/her teammates eat their lunch" he replied simply. Before Naruto could say anything, which Kakashi hoped not so he could get this over and done with, he cut him off before Naruto started talking.

"Start" he said and pulled out his orange book. Sakura and Sasuke hid immediatly, hiding their chakra and Naruto was left standing like an idiot. Kakashi sighed, so this is the dumb one, he thought amusingly. Sakura, who hid behind a tree, face palmed her face.

"Idiot" she muttered, shaking her head. Although it was rather tempting to help rescue her best friend, she needed to get the bell. As she watched Naruto fall for an obvious trap and saw him dangling from the tree branch with a rope around him, it was clear to Sakura it was her chance. She leapt out of her hiding place and ran in a fast pace, chakra swirling around her fists. Kakashi was rather impressed by her speed and reluctantly placed the orange book back inside his pocket, knowing he would have to take a closer look at his female student, who was running faster and faster. Sasuke watched closely, anticipating her moves, the faster she ran, the more chakra was in her fists. Naruto watched the scene with awe and shouted cries of encouragement to Sakura, who in return gave him a breif smile. Suddenly, she dissapeared and Kakashi narrowed his eyes, looking sideways, upwards and behind him. There was a silence, before a hand came from the ground and dragged him down until it was only his head left. Sakura appeared in front of him, smirking as the bell was dangling from her fingers.

"You hide your chakra well" Kakashi said, smiling. Sakura shrugged and yawned, sitting under a shady tree whilst eating her lunch. Kakashi Hatake's pride was ruined and bruised. He had been beaten-by a genin nonetheless, how was he going to cope? He felt ashamed and flew from his uncomfortable position and sent Sakura a glance, before brushing the dirt from his clothes. Naruto and Sasuke were shocked by Sakura's success, and both male genin clenched their fists and decided it would be emmbarassing if they lost, and the girl would wind. Naruto quietly thanked Sasuke as he leapt up to attack Kakashi and quickly did a shadow clone, who cut the ropes with a kunai swiftly. Naruto laughed evilly, he wouldn't let that Uchiha brat-no way! He would get those bells way before him. Naruto's courage withered a bit when Sasuke let out fire from his mouth and he saw Kakashi's eyes widened with surprise. No, must do it for Sakura, he thought clenching his teeth. Naruto felt a leap of joy when Sakura sent him a thumbs up and he grinned, quickly doing the shadow clones as they attacked Kakashi, who was busy with Sasuke. Sasuke, on the other hand, was enraged that his battle was rudely inerrupted by Naruto as he came in, tackling the silver-haired jounin to death. Kakashi dissapeared and then appeared behind Naruto, easily killing the shadow clones before he stuck two fingers inside Naruto's butt, sending him flying across the training field moaning with pain.

"Ow!" Naruto cried, rubbing his butt as he slowly got unto his feet. Kakashi diverted his attention back to the bells and realized one of them was missing and saw Sasuke calmly eating his lunch next to Sakura. Naruto, who realized in horror, had lost and failed Sakura. She would be so dissapointed in him now! How was he going to become Hokage when he couldn't even catch a bell? he thought as he left Kakashi tie him around a pole.

"Now, if any of you decided to feed him...you fail with Naruto too" Kakashi said and dissapeared. Naruto's stomach growled and he blushed, Sakura sighed and rolled her eyes, feeding him with one of her rice balls. Naruto, extremely touched, cried and ate it happily.

"You would fail to feed Naruto?" Sasuke asked, astonished and shocked. Sakura shrugged her shoulders and leaned agaisnt the tree trunk sighing.

"His my teammate, we're supposed to work together and help eachother" she said. Sasuke grumbled and, pushing his pride away for once, took out a rice ball and looked away,  
so neither Sakura or Naruto could see his blush. Naruto ate it happily, thanking Sasuke over and over again who in return gave him a glare. Sakura rolled her eyes and suddenly,  
Kakashi appeared and a dark and angry expression filled his face. Sakura did not flinch one bit.

"You dare BREAK my rules!" he said, emphasising the word 'break'. Naruto cowered but Sakura stood up, head held high. Kakashi secretly smiled underneath his mask, praising Sakura for her brave and superior attitude.

"His my teammate whether you like it or not. We work together and help eachother" she said, crossing her arms. Naruto, who suddenly felt confident that his best friend was backing him up, spoke too.

"YEAH! Teammates help eachother!" he yelled, sticking his tongue out childishly. Sasuke stood up too, and though he had no idea what the hell he was doing, he ignored the surprised looks Naruto sent him.

"He is a dobe, but my teammate nonetheless" he said, smirking. He heard Naruto yell and Sasuke chuckled. There was a heavy silence that hung in the air before Kakashi sighed.

"The test was to see if you can work together to get the bell. Obviously you didn't so you all fail" Kakashi said. Sakura and Sasuke's eyes widened, anger and dissapointment in their hearts. Naruto whined and yelled, shouting insults to Kakashi.

"But since you backed up Naruto, I'm letting you all pass!" he countinued. The stiffness of Sakura and Sasuke's shoulders dissappeared and they sighed in relief. Naruto- who had mysteriously broken the ropes tied around him-punched his knuckles in the air and whooped. Sakura rolled her eyes at his antics.

"I'll treat you guys ramen, let's go" Kakashi said and began to walk away to their destination. The three genin trailed after him, smiling at their victory.

D-Rank Mission: Capture the cat...

"Pink-Hero, target approaching alleyway" there was a faint rustle of leaves as Naruto slowly crept behind the cat, a devious and determined expression in his face.

"Don't call me that, Naruto" Sakura sighed as she looked down at the cat from the building roof. She watched with an amused expression as Naruto captured the cat, but was awarded with a scratch in his cheek. He howled in pain and Sakura leapt to his side and took the cat and cradled it in her arms, which purred lovingly as it nestled in her chest. Perverted cat, Naruto thought, slightly jealous as Sakura stroked the animal. The cat hissed at Naruto and he backed away, scared. Sasuke appeared and dug his hands in his pockets and Team 7 headed to the Hokage tower, where the owner-a big lady with red lips who was dressed in an expensive kimono, hugged the poor kitten to death and thanked the team. No wonder it escaped, the genin team thought in unison as they felt sympathy for the little cat. After they had given their report and the Third Hokage was about to assign them another D Rank mission, Naruto interrupted rudely.

"Come on old man! Can't you give us a more exciting mission!" he yelled. The Hokage's brow twitched at the insult and Iruka scolded Naruto for being so bold and rude.

"It's gotten so boring lately! I mean, don't you agree Sakura, Sasuke-teme?" Naruto said. Sakura and Sasuke nodded, but Sasuke on the other hand gave him a glare for the name calling.

"Fine then, I'll give you a C Rank escort mission to the Land of Waves-bring our client in" the Hokage said, he was in no mood to complain to a energetic Naruto. It was hard effort. Naruto grinned triumphantly, happy at his success of persuading the Hokage.

Land of Waves mission! Next chapter will be updated soon, hope you've enjoyed so far xxx


	5. Chapter 5

Next chapter! Happy my story is making quick progress xxx

An elderly dressed man, who seemed very drunk and sloppy entered the room. Naruto gave him a look but before he could throw a fresh new batch of insults and 'whats!', Sakura gave him a glare and bowed to the client.

"You call these brats ninjas?" he remarked rudely. Sakura narrowed her eyes-maybe insulting him would be sweet satisfaction. Naruto growled, but calmed down a bit when Sakura gripped his wrist. Being the most polite female genin in her team, she gave the client a thin smile before repyling.

"We are very good, just inexperienced though" she said sweetly. The man tsked at her and suddenly, Kakashi appeared beside Naruto and turned to face the man, Tazuna, who gave a sigh of somewhat relief. Kakashi raised a questioning brow.

"Thank god, a jounin. Thought I had to travel with those kids" he muttered under his foul breath. Kakashi smirked at the insult and watched his team's blood boil wildly, somehow-they managed to contain it. It was quickly arranged that they'd leave in the afternoon and meet in front of the gates, and as the team took their seperate ways and began to pack for their first ever mission outside the safe gates of their beloved village,  
Konoha.

Afternoon, in front of the gates...

Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto were on the verge of breaking that Tazuna's neck and screaming with annoyance if not their dearest sensei appeared...  
four hours later. Tazuna, unimpressed by his lateness, muttered something under his breath and they journeyed out. Sakura kept a close eye on anything suspicous, narrowing her eyes everytime she saw something move. Suddenly, Naruto threw a kunai to a bush and he ran to it, only to cry when he realized he killed a white rabbit. That doesn't add up, Sakura thought, white rabbits usually appear in winter. In the corner of her eye, she saw a puddle and she tensed, knowing that it hadn't rained for the past three days. Suddenly, Kakashi's body was ripped in half and thrown aside, and then in a blink of an eye two large men appeared and attacked Sasuke. Sakura stood in front of the frightened Tazuna and watched Sasuke chain the two men up with the large silver chains, killing them quickly before glancing at Sakura. He sighed in relief as he saw Tazuna, alive and well but frowned when he saw a shaken Naruto, obviously frightened. Sakura sighed and saw Kakashi appear next to them, surprising the three genins and Tazuna. Kakashi narrowed his eyes at Tazuna, who gulped.

"You didn't tell us assasins were coming to hunt you down" he said threatiningly. Kakashi sighed and decided not to scare the old bridge builder and turned to his team.

"Good work Sasuke and Sakura, though Naruto...you could've been more useful" Kakashi replied cheerfully. He saw Naruto's upbeat energy die down but decided to ignore it as he countinued.

"Unfortunetly, our client has not told us the exact details of this missions and it is actually A Rank. You guys must decide whether you want to countinue or we can go back to the village and another team will be chosen to do this" Kakashi said. Sakura and Sasuke exchanged glances and nodded.

"We want to countinue our mission...though, I'm not sure about..." Sakura trailed off, glancing worriedly at Naruto. Sasuke smirked and walked towards Naruto, leaning in a cocky posture.

"What's the matter? Scaredy-cat" he said. Sakura clenched her fist at the childish insult and sighed, walking towards Naruto who took out his kunai and slashed it across his wrist. Sasuke and Kakashi looked surprised, but Sakura-who knew Naruto for a long time now-knew he was going to break into his famous speeches.

"From this day on I am not going to be scared! I'll protect you guys!" he said, shaking with anger. Blood spilled from his scar and Sakura only sighed, pulling out white bandages from her pocket.

"Naruto, that's great and all but if you do that you'll faint of blood loss" Kakashi said, ruining the moment. Naruto screamed and ran around like a silly girl, until Sakura finally got hold of him and put the bandages around his wrist. Naruto grinned sheepishly and thanked Sakura. As they headed out and rested, taking turns to have a night watch, Sakura felt pain surge through her stomach and she gagged. She got up and threw up on the floor, panting heavily. Kakashi, who was taking fourth watch and was the eye witness of Sakura's peculiar sickness. He helped her up and gave her a bottle of water, which she hungrily drank. Kakashi felt strong chakra generating from her and his eyes widened, feeling as if he was in a prescene of a powerful being. Soon the chakra stopped and she was breathing normally again, she thanked Kakashi hastily before sleeping next to Naruto.

Sakura was the first one to wake up and she stretched her muscles, yawning. Her stomach grumbled but she ignored it's desperate pleas and began to pack up, before going out to hunt for fish. She came past a stream and took out her kunais, quickly killing the fish and taking them back to their little campsite. Sakura looked around her, before doing a jutsu seal and fire leapt from her hands. She smiled triumphantly and roasted the fish, until it's delicous scent made the four other people wake from their slumber. Sakura laid out their food and they ate breakfast in a comfortable silence, since none of them except Sakura was a morning person. They then headed out to countinue their journey. It was a quiet one, with the occasional yawns usually coming from Naruto or Tazuna. But suddenly, Kakashi stopped when a blade came flying from the thick mist and landed on the tree trunk. Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto stepped in front of Tazuna with their kunais and slowly, they saw a shadow appeared,  
none other than Zabuza Momochi.

"Kakashi Hatake, famous Copy Cat ninja. What an honour" the big man said in a mocking tone. Kakashi narrowed his eyes. He was unlucky, he thought, there was a thick mist and though Kakashi had the Sharingan, Zabuza had an advantage since he was so used to fighting in the mist. Kakashi swiftly turned to glance at his three genin, who were guarding Tazuna with serious expressions. He smiled and turned his attention back to Zabuza, who took his sword and grinned at Kakashi.

"Give me the bridge builder and no harm will come" he said with an evil tone. Kakashi didn't reply, instead he took out his headband that covered his other eye and crimson swirled with black dots. The Sharingan, Sasuke thought amazed and confused. That was only for his bloodline, and since Kakashi wasn't a Uchiha it made Sasuke's opinion of Kakashi reach down that he was a mysterious man. Sasuke promised himself to check his sensei's files, if they made it back alive to Konoha, that is. Sakura stared at Kakashi, it was quite hard to see the Sharingan but Sasuke's surprised face gave her a tiny hint what he was so shocked about. Sakura knew about Kakashi, how he went on missions with that other Uchiha-Obito-who got hurt in the process of going on a mission and eventually died. Obito must've given the Sharingan to Kakashi, Sakura thought pulling out a kunai. It only made sense, since Kakashi really wasn't the type of man to go kill an Uchiha and steal their trademark crimson eyes. But Sakura snapped back to the main problem and she focused on Zabuza, anticipating his next moves. The man, Sakura thought, was scary nonetheless and as Sakura stared at his large sword, she shuddered to think how many people that evil minded Zabuza killed ruthlessly. Sakura glanced at Naruto, who was busy checking his surrondings, he met her gaze and grinned. Even at these times, Sakura thought, Naruto remains optimistic.

"Sasuke, pay attention" Sakura said sharply. She knew he was still focused on the Sharingan, and as she spoke Sasuke grunted and a blush formed in his cheeks. His emmbarrased, Sakura thought smirking as she found out Sasuke can't keep his guard on for once.

"Oh, the Sharingan! I feel so special" Zabuza said in a mocking tone. He then leapt to the lake, balanced and Kakashi's Sharingan studied his movements, waiting for the first attack. It was so like Zabuza to make the first grand entrance, Kakashi thought dryly.

"Kirigakure no Jutsu!" Zabuza said, and suddenly a thick mist surronded the place and water came flying from the lake. Sakura observed Zabuza, trying to anticipate his moves but the damn fog was blocking her vision. Slowly, her emerald eyes swirled into a sapphire hue and it glowed and shimmered, allowing Sakura to see the fight as if there was no mist blocking her sight. She hoped her teammates wouldn't see her use the eye technique of hers, so she can be spared from the nosy questions later.

"Quit hiding Zabuza, you filthy cowa-Kakashi was interrupted when his opponents's sword swung in the air. Kakashi took big steps away from Zabuza in the lake. Apparently, the mist ninja loathed being called a coward. Kakashi had to think fast, there was no way he was risking his student's lives because of Zabuza. He had to send them away, quickly.

"Team 7, go bring Tazuna back to his house now!" Kakashi yelled in a harsh voice. Team 7 nodded and quickly, Sakura and Sasuke swung the old man around their necks whilst Naruto followed Tazuna's directions to his house. It was a tense silence, and as Team 7 was rather reluctant on leaving their poor sensei to fight that monster, they obeyed his orders and set out. Even Naruto wasn't complaining and quietly led them all to a small, isolated house nearby the sea. Tazuna knocked and a lady came to open the door, she cried with happiness and lead Tazuna inside. The lady, Tsunami whoose son Inari quickly put them inside and offered them lunch. Whilst they were waiting, the little boy-Inari, gave Naruto a curious look.

"Are you guys ninjas?" he asked reluctantly. The lunch came and Team 7 started to eat, their stomachs dying for food. The three of them hadn't eaten anything except for breakfast, and that seemed like an eternity ago especially for Naruto. Naruto swallowed, before grinning at Inari.

"Yeah!" he cried. Inari nodded and ate quickly, before exiting the room. Before he did so, he stared at the photo of himself, Tsunami and Tazuna with another man ruffling his hair. Naruto followed his gaze and stared at the family photo, feeling pain fill that hole in his heart that was in need for love from his family. Inari exited the room and left a quiet Team 7, with a tense silence hanging in the air.  
Sakura couldn't bear it anymore, she knew they had to go retrieve their sensei and she stood up, ignoring her unfinished lunch.

"I'm sorry Miss Tsunami, but my team have to go collect our sensei" Sakura said firmly. Sasuke and Naruto eyed her for a moment, before nodding and running out of the house, in search for their sensei. 


	6. Chapter 6

New Chapter! Hope you enjoy xxx

Kakashi with Zabuza...

Kakashi was growing weak and tired, maybe because of his age but partly because of his incredible use of chakra that left him weak, desperate and tired. Though it was risky, he hoped his team would appear as he stared at the big figure of Zabuza, trying to stand up, only to fall to the ground. Then, a hunter nin with long hair and a painted mask catched him mid air, and gave Kakashi a look. The hunter nin dissapeared with Zabuza, leaving Kakashi in a chaotic mess and he slowly covered his Sharingan with his headband, sighing as he leaned agaisnt the tree trunk.  
Three figures appeared slowly and Kakashi groaned with annoyance, hoping it wasn't another ambush attack. But he was surprised, yet grateful to see his genin team arrive. Naruto and Sasuke immediatly went to his side but Sakura ran around the battlefield, searching for anything suspicous.

She returned in seconds, finding an unconsious Kakashi swung over Sasuke's arms. Sakura nodded and they returned back to the safety of Tazuna's house, where they quickly placed Kakashi inside a room with a warm bed. As they arrived, Sakura offered to watch Kakashi until he woke up and her two male teammates agreed, thanking her in the process-though Sasuke just mumbled it. As Sakura stared at her sensei, she grabbed her bag and took out some injections and test tubes, and she carefully drained some of Kakashi's blood, poured it into a test tube and placed a bandage around the small cut and hid her equipment away. She had a weird, strange hobby of mixing herbs and blood to create some sort of medicine, and since Sakura was always interested in the science of the medical field. Suddenly, Sakura felt a jolt of pain from her stomach and she franticlly opened the window, where light streamed in. She vomited and coughed out blood and slowly fell to the floor, exhausted by the sudden pain. Sakura knew it was the beast inside of her, the one she was born with, the one she had a immortal bond with that will never leave her, whether she died of lived. She panted and clutched her stomach, feeling tears form in the corner of her eyes. Sakura wiped them away hastily, before exiting the room to get some water. Naruto and Sasuke saw her sick expression as she swayed side by side, her vision blurry until she hit the floor and was overcome with pain.

...XxX...

Sakura found herself inside a vast hallway, filled with black smoke that swayed around her ankles. She suddenly gasped and fell on her knees, clutching her stomach. Sakura lifted her gaze to see the black gates, with a large seal in the lock. An eye opened that revealed crimson with ten swirling black dots, it's gaze holding hers for a long time. Sakura knew this place, it was the pinacle of her nightmares, the centre of destruction, the unholy god that created this world, divided it into nations and was the founder of everything. The monster trapped inside her, the worst gift she could ever recieve growled at her darkly, it's black tails poking out of the gates. There was a deadly auro surronding this monster that she encountered, and in this dark sanctuary of the beast, the only light that truly shone was the red moon, dripping with the blood this beast had killed. The demon laughed darkly, and Sakura weakly took a step back, scared and frightened.

"Oh Sakura..." it's tone was an evil, sadistic and cruel one. Sakura shivered, wanting this horrible nightmare to end soon. Last time she was in here, she woke up with scars around her body, her bedsheets bloody and tangled around her body. Sakura closed her eyes and covered her ears, wanting that voice to go away.

"...get away from me" Sakura whispered, in the verge of tears. She hated the feeling of his black, dark chakra, the way his eyes shone like that moon and the way his tails swayed back and forth. This creature was the unholy beast, the creator of this world, the monster of this world, the one who was supposed to be chained in the sky to create the moon-but instead, it was sealed inside of her.

"Don't pretend anymore" the beast chuckled evilly, it's long black tails coming in, circuling the her body. Sakura curled in a ball, trying to ignore the beast but it controlled her, curropted her mind and her heart, yet she had to find a way, any way to control this demon. She was desperate to get rid of it, to chain it to the sky and for it to leave this world he created with his magnificent power. Sakura panted heavily as black chakra formed around her body, and she gripped her shirt so hard it slightly ripped. She knew the Ten Tailed Beast wanted to unite with her, to become one, to become the ultimate shinob in this world-too bad Sakura had other ideas. But she knew that without the beast, she would be weak and her chakra would be slow, yet if she united with it, it would cause destruction to the world it created.

"I am the Tenth Bijuu. I see all, know all and I am everything. I rise from the ashes of war and rule the world, I stand amongst the other bijuus. I am the Sun and the Moon, I am eternity" it released a dark laughter and Sakura covered her ears. The beast always said that everytime Sakura would meet him, the beast would say it with superior, control and power that always ended with a sadistic laughter. Sakura stood up, clenching her fists.

"The bijuu came from the ancient times, created to cleanse this world from war and hate! But you..." Sakura trailed off as one of the tails wrapped around her waist. It bought her closer to the beast, and she could feel his dark, enormous and powerful chakra enhance her. She shivered agaisnt his touch.

"I shall cleanse this world and unite with you" he whispered darkly and flung Sakura away. She landed on the ground and cried in pain as her vision blurred out slowly.

...XxX...

"...leave her to rest, poor child-she's probably exhausted" Sakura noted that voice belonged to Tsunami. Every muscle in her being ached and was weak, and as she tried to sit up, she fell down on the futon with a bang. Sakura screamed in pain and as Naruto helped her to sit up, she flung herself away from him and ran to the window, vomiting and coughing up blood as well. She sank to the floor and sobbed, thinking back in her second encounter with the beast. Naruto and Sasuke hesitantly approached her and knelt down beside her, as they watched their female teammate clutch her head. Naruto gently took her hands and placed them in her lap, tapping his best friend's back gently. It pained Naruto to see his companion like this, because occasionally-Sakura would be hit by a wave of pain, she would vomit and cough up blood and couldn't move for days-needless to say, Naruto was used to her behaviour, but it still shocked him since it happened only at the rarest of times.

"Naruto, Sasuke" Sakura whispered quietly. It struck Sasuke to see his female teammate so fragile, and as he stared at her, waiting for the next thing she was about to say, she violently coughed up blood. Sasuke looked away, and memories of the massacre returned to his mind and he clenched his jaw. He glanced at Naruto, who seemed used to Sakura's strange actions, patted her back supportively.

"...give me my bag" she said weakly. Naruto grabbed her bag and gave it to Sakura, who furiosly went through her stuff until she took out a small tube full of black and liquid, which she sipped hungrily. There was a pause, before she returned it back inside her bag and pushed it away.

"Maybe you should rest more, Sakura" Naruto said gently as he carried her in her bed. Sakura was in no mood to protest, and managed a weak nod as she lay down next to Kakashi,  
who was still unconsious. The two male genin glanced at eachother, before they left leaving a sleeping Kakashi and Sakura.

Sakura blinked her eyes open and paused for a moment, before sitting up slowly to examine her surrondings. The futon next to her, which used to have Kakashi in it, was folded neatly to one side. She slowly sat up, stretching her muscles and stood up, realizing she had enough energy to countinue their mission. She got out of the room to see her team eating breakfast,  
and there was a silence before Naruto sprang up and hugged Sakura to death. He cried joyfully.

"Sakura! Your alive!" he said, grinning widely. Sakura rolled her eyes and gently pushed him away, who looked hurt before resuming back to eating his breakfast. She was glad that she eventually woke up and felt better, with no scars at all.

"Sasuke, how long was I asleep for?" Sakura asked, chewing thoughtfully on a rice ball. Sasuke paused for a minute, swallowed his food and glanced at Sakura.

"3 days Sakura! Your worse than me!" Naruto interrupted, cutting Sasuke before he could even speak. Sasuke glared at him, whilst Naruto in return stuck his tongue out childishly. Sakura sighed, as she ate her food. She paused for a minute, and memories of her encounter with the beast hit her. There was that familiar chakra generating from her body, and she decided to ignore it.

"Hurry up guys, were going outside to do some training" Kakashi said. At the sound of that, Sakura saw her two male comrades hurriedly ate their breakfast and went outside, complaining how slow Kakashi and Sakura were. Kakashi exchanged glances with Sakura, who sighed and quickly ate her breakfast before joining her two teammates. They stopped inside the middle of a forest, where Kakashi cleared his throat.

"Today I'll be teaching you how to climb trees" he said. Naruto and Sasuke exchanged looks, while Sakura looked mildly interested on what was going on. She'd rather be eating her rice balls and enjoy the scenary.

"That's easy Kaka-sensei!" Naruto said, before climbing a tree with his hands, to unfortunetly slip and land on his face. Sakura rolled her eyes, knowing any time soon her idiotic best friend would do that someday.

"Climbing without hands" Kakashi said, and casually walked on the tree trunk with no sign of effort. Naruto and Sasuke looked stunned, and as Kakashi explained to them where you have to focus your chakra on (your feet) Naruto and Sasuke began to concentrate, while Sakura, ever so normally with no effort whatsoever, walked on the tree trunk, hands in her pocket. Sakura knew this jutsu, since she had read about it in a scroll in the archives. Her two teammates stared at her as she turned upside down on a tree branch, her hair dangling with a cocky smirk.

"Sakura! You never taught me that!" Naruto complained, crossing his arms in a huff. Sakura ignored him and landed on her two feet in the ground, where her sensei smiled at her and told her she had perfect chakra control. He watched as his female student sat under a shady tree and stare at the scenary, and it reminded him of that Nara kid, always watching the clouds. He approached her and smiled at his female student, who gave him a blank stare.

"Now, I'll teach you how to walk on water" he said. Sakura sighed and went to the nearest pond, which was so murky it was hard to tell what lay beneath it. She walked on the water, and began to stroll on it, looking bored. Kakashi smiled at her cocky attitude and it reminded him of his teammate, Obito Uchiha. He suddenly lunged in to attack her, and he watched Sakura smirk and dissapear,  
only to appear again behind Kakashi and slamming his face in the murky water. She left her poor sensei to float in the pond, his ego bruised. 


	7. Chapter 7

Zabuza and Kakashi meet again in this chapter! Hope you enjoy xxx

Sakura decided, you know just to kill time, to create dummies made out of straw she found inside the forest when she was wondering around. She took out her kunais and ran quickly, paused and then flung her kunai at the dummies, which were slowly falling apart. After two hours of excercise, watching Naruto and Sasuke battle to get right at the top of the trees, her wrist started to hurt and they all went back to the house, to find it empty. The whole place was turned upside down, vases were shattered on the ground, the rooms messy and the floor full of muddy footprints. Sakura found Naruto inside Inari's bedroom, clutching a small toy in his hands.

"What kind of person..." Naruto whispered. Sakura narrowed her eyes at the toy and she threw it outside the window, where it exploded. There were paper bombs stuffed inside that toy, Sakura thought as she dragged an angry Naruto outside. Sasuke and Kakashi were discussing strategy, while Naruto was boiling with rage and anger. Slowly, Sakura turned around to face the scenary and her eyes turned a sparkling sapphire hue, it showed her a recap of the men dragging Tsunami and Inari and Tazuna somehwere, and some of the men were whispering about Gato. Sakura suddenly remembered the poor boy she encountered in the nearby village, saying Gato was out to kill us all and that the bridge may not be built. Suddenly, the pieces fell together and a careful diagram stood in front of her, slowly Sakura's eyes turned back normal and she faced her team.

"They're at the half finished bridge being held hostage by Gato who hired Zabuza to assasinate Tazuna" she said. Kakashi raised a brow, obviously wondering where Sakura got this information but he trusted her enough to obey her orders. They soon set out to the half finished bridge, where Zabuza and the same hunter nin Kakashi meet was. Zabuza chuckled darkly and swung his sword absent mindedly, while the hunter nin stood by, his posture at ease.

"We meet again, Kakashi Hatake" he spat Kakashi's name as he did so. Kakashi narrowed his eyes and stared at his genin team, who nodded at him knowing their formation plan. Naruto growled furiosly at Zabuza and did his trademark shadow clone jutsu, adding extra protection for himself and his teammates. Soon it began, and as the hunter nin lunged to attack the genin team, he did a jutsu and glass mirrors surronded Sasuke. He was attacked vicously by the needles, and fell on his knees, bleeding. Sakura knew Sasuke was going to be okay, he never backed down easily-it wasn't in his nature. Naruto on the other hand, was angered the fact his teammate was trapped. So Naruto, being the obnoxious one, rolled inside the mirror prision. Sakura inwardly groaned with frustration, she had no choice but to come inside too. Sasuke gave them dumbfounded glances, but quickly took his guard and let out a fire jutsu which came from his mouth. This did not effect the mirrors one bit, and as minutes of utter frustration passed by, Sasuke and Naruto were worn out with chakra exhaustion. Sakura narrowed her eyes and murmered under her breath as her eyes turned a vivid sapphire hue, she quickly does handsigns and whispers darkly-her eyes narrowed with concentration.

"Universal Fortress" she murmered, and a swirling black ball appeared in her hand, looking distinctly like the famed Rasengan but with lightning bolts surronding it-infused with black chakra. Sakura knew it was risky using the demon's chakra, but she had no choice-she didn't want Naruto's tailed beast to take over him, he could never control it-no matter how many times he tried. Sakura's eyes glanced at where the real hunter nin might be, she then lunged towards the mirrors and it cracked slowly by the power of the swirling black ball Sakura had in her hands. The glass shards fell to the floor, and Sakura gave a satisfying smile. But she knew it wasn't over, and as needles flew from the mirrors like rain, she sheilded her teammates and half alive, half broken Naruto, who was helplessly trying to stand up to fight. It always angered Naruto that his best friend, Sakura was the one protecting him-and he couldn't even protect the one he loved the most. A needle dug inside Sakura's flesh and she flinched, but took it out and flung it aside. Sakura hurriedly murmured under her breath and ten black balls floated around her, ready to strike the mirrors. Sakura nodded her head and the black balls flung itself on each mirror, and it cracked slowly until it shattered completely,  
and the hunter nin lay on the floor, his mask half broken. Sakura glanced at Sasuke and her eyes widened, she fell on her knees, her mouth quivering. Is he really dead? Sakura thought, checking for his pulse. It was there, but it was so faint that it was hard to tell it was either the shaking of her hands. Sakura saw Naruto's kyuubi powers overcome him, his blue eyes turning a vicious dark red and it reminded Sakura of the red moon inside the sanctuary of the Ten Tails.

Sakura watched helplessly as Naruto ruthlessly kicking the hunter nin. She saw the victim of Naruto's wrath tilt her head ever so slightly as she saw Kakashi's chidori slowly colliding with Zabuza's weak form, and quicker than anybody could imagine, the hunter nin dived in to take the blow. It was silent as Kakashi's eyes widened at the figure, embracing his powerful jutsu so he can let Zabuza live.

"My tool is dead, I have no use for him anymore" Zabuza said coldly, cutting the intense silence. Naruto got up, his kyuubi long gone and faced Zabuza with tears in his eyes, charging up to his half dead body and gripped him by the collar.

"HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT! HE SAVED YOUR LIFE, HE LOVED YOU ENOUGH TO DO SO! HE IS NOT A TOOL! HE IS A PERSON!" Naruto screamed, flinging Zabuza away. He knelt down beside the hunter nin, crying and apoligizing to his dead body over and over again. Naruto faced Zabuza again, and the half dead, half merely alive was moved to tears. Naruto paused and clenched his jaw, it was silent before Zabuza said:

"Your right-"

Zabuza was interrupted when a sphere came flying from the group of thugs, grinning and smirking. The sphere hit Zabuza straight in the heart, and he fell dead in front of Naruto, who was trembling with anger, pain and sorrow. Slowly and weakly, Zabuza clutched Naruto's hands.

"Please let me die next to Haku" he whispered. Naruto could only nod and help Zabuza's body as he carried him next to the hunter nin, where Zabuza clutched his hand. Rain slowly pattered down, and a weak Sasuke, who was being helped up by Sasuke and a stunned Kakashi, a sad Sakura and an angry Naruto, slowly mourned Zabuza and Haku's tragic fate.

The next days passed by so quickly, Gato was caught for illegal trading and killed. Inari, Tazuna and Tsunami were freed and a funeral for Zabuza and Haku had been held the day Team 7 were leaving the Mist village. Sakura remembered Naruto crying misreably, and she felt a swell of pride thinking that Naruto had changed a merciless criminal who felt love for the person who dived in to take the attack and die for Zabuza.  
Soon, the bridge was built and was called The Great Naruto Bridge, and as Team 7 waved goodbye to the ever thankful villagers and all went home, Naruto had a happy and satisfied grin plastered on his face.

"Kaka-sensei! Treat us to ramen, you owe us!" Naruto cried. Kakashi nodded and smiled, and as Team 7 headed back to the humble gates of Konoha, a warm feeling spreaded to the three genin's chest. Their first mission outside of the village was a success, which of course-needed to have a celebration.

As Sakura waved goodbye her teammates after a long dinner at the ramen shop, she entered her empty apartment and pain jolted from her stomach, and slowly black chakra bubbled around her, growing stronger and stronger as the pain increased. She gasped and fell to the wooden floor on her knees, panting and sweating. Her eyelids became heavy, and she clutched her stomach as her vision slipped away, and she fell to the floor with a soft thud.

...XxX...

Sakura opened her eyes and stared at the red moon as it shone with ruthless glory. She slowly stood up, watching the black smoke sway around her ankles as she walked towards the beast, whoose tails wrapped around her waist and bought her closer to the monster.

"That boy has the Nine Tails within him" he whispered darkly. Sakura didn't answer, instead she raised her chin. She was so tired of being afraid of the monster, what use was dreaming of controlling the demon when she was afraid of it? She was such a lowly coward, it was rather pathetic in her case. Sakura knew that without this beast, she would be nothing except the equivalent to dirty trash, and it haunted her since she had no real identity except being the vessel of this demon. Sakura stared at the large crimson eye and her green eyes turned a sapphire hue. But she couldn't see it, she couldn't see the wars and battles this beast had fought. Her blue eyes could see the surface of any person's heart, see their history, share their pain and experience their happiness-but then again, this was not a person, but an ugly beast.

"You used to be a star" the demon said, chuckling. Sakura narrowed her eyes, she knew nothing of her past and she was not falling for the trick. Her, a star? The idea seemed laughable. The beast was either annoying her or testing her patience and temper.

"But you killed your mother and your father banished you, seeing you had darkness in your heart and so you fell" he countinued. Sakura was interested now, thought it was hard and immpossible to believe, she wanted to know of this myth she heard from a farmer a long time ago. The myth was about a fallen star, a young girl who would bring darkness to the world since that was her destiny and her prophecy. She was to be the downfall of this world, and only one could truly defeat her. Sakura had long forgotten the story, but memories creeped back to her.

"And the Sage of the Six Paths found you, not knowing of your real identity and destiny, took you as a apprentince and sealed me inside you when he was dying" he whispered. Sakura lifted her gaze to the red moon and shuddered,  
she just wanted to regain her consiousness so she can be away from this evil sanctuary. She closed her eyes and chewed her bottom lip-Sakura wasn't in the mood to have a conversation with the devil himself, she'd rather be returning those important scrolls to the archives. Unfortunetly, the beast had other plans which Sakura wasn't going to tolerate with, she had been back from a extremely long mission and deserved some sleep. Sakura took out a kunai and plunged it into her right arm, knowing that if she feels pain, the beast shall as well.

...XxX...

Sakura found herself lying on the cold, wooden floor and she gathered herself up, dusting the dirt from her pants. She threw herself on the sofa, pausing a moment to recollect her thoughts. Then she remembered she had to read those scrolls and ran up the stairs. She came back down moments later with the scrolls inside a bag and ran outside, passing the bustling markets to be stopped a few times by hopeful sellers and she eventually arrived at the archives, stepping inside the calm atmosphere. Sakura arrived in the counter and returned the scrolls, and then started to busy herself with another batch of scrolls. She saw Naruto entering the archives and raised a brow, she was surprised to see Naruto here, she thought the young boy hardly knew where the archives were. He saw her and grinned, and Sakura waved back when she felt pain surge through her bones. Naruto gave her a worried stare as he approached her, and slowly Sakura gasped and panted, coughing up blood and weakly trying to regain her blurry vision. Naruto was running towards her now, and as Sakura sobbed and whimpered and countinuesly coughed up blood, there was some worried jounin came and approached her, shaking her weak form. Sakura soon passed out on the floor, her hair tangled and lay in a messy heap whilst her clothes were twisted around her fragile and sick body.

Naruto's eyes widened as he carried Sakura's body to the hospital, hoping her eyes would open and she just pranked him. But her eyes never opened, and as Naruto felt fear in his chest when he thought that his only family would die in his arms. No, he thought as he carried her to the endless corridors of the large hospital, he would not let Sakura die. He ignored the stares the nurses gave him, the hissing and the whispers as he approached the reception area, where a kind nurse frowned at the passed out Sakura in his arms. Wordlessly, she got a wheelchair and placed Sakura in it, and as Naruto trailed behind the nurse, silent and wondering why his best friend kept fainting nowadays. The nurse stopped and placed Sakura gently in a bed near the window, where a vase full of fresh daffodils were, spraying their soft fragrance. Naruto thanked the nurse, before sitting down in the arm chair near Sakura. Tears fell down his eyes and he clutched Sakura's hand tightly, her fragile wrist so thin agaisnt his grasp. Naruto wiped the tears hastily and felt a hand rest on his shoulder. Naruto looked up and met the gaze of the Third Hokage, who smiled gently at him and ruffled his hair.

"So what happened to your friend?" the Hokage asked, his gaze never breaking from Sakura's asleep form. He felt strong chakra generate from her body and his eyes narrowed, glancing at Naruto to check if he felt it too. But to his amazement, Naruto just sat there-not feeling the powerful and dark chakra surronding the sleeping form of Naruto's teammate.

"...during the mission, she fainted and didn't wake up after three days...and now..." Naruto chewed his bottom lip, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. The Hokage smiled, staring at Naruto, knowing the young genin had strong feelings towards the girl who lay on the crisp, white bed. He gently patted Naruto's head as a sign of comfort and exited the room, probably to go back to his office to do a new batch of paperwork and endure the nagging of the Elders. Naruto sighed and stood up, knowing it would be best to leave Sakura to rest since it was growing dark. Naruto exited the room, but he glanced at Sakura for one last time and shut the door softly behind him.

Sakura blinked her eyes and tried to make sense of her cloudy vision, but didn't manage to succeed on doing so. Instead, she weakly lifted her hand and pointed a figure, that was trembling violently from the immense effort. Every fibre in her body ached and felt pain in her chest. Sakura groaned and clutched her stomach, her hand falling beside her.

"...whoose there?" Sakura asked in a hoarse voice. Where was she? she thought, and Sakura suddenly remembered her passing out on the archives. But instead, she found herself in a hospital bed and realized somebody must've found her and carried her to the hospital. It couldn't be her sensei-he was the type of man who would return back to his house and sleep for sixteen hours straight-or Sasuke because he'd be training or getting healed in the hospital after the mission. Her memories surfaced and she remembered Naruto seeing her in the archives and chuckled softly. She tried to sit up, with the help of her teammates of course.

"It's me, and Kaka-sensei and Sasuke-teme!" Naruto said loudly, with a grin plastered in his face. Sakura smiled, feeling her spirits rise immediatly, she could make out three figures but had a hard time because of her blurry vision.

"I can't see very well" Sakura said in a husky voice. Naruto gripped her hand and Sakura could manage a weak smile, before Kakashi interrupted.

"You better sleep and rest Sakura, we'll come back in the afternoon" Kakashi said and they all waved goodbye, leaving Sakura alone. She sighed and stared out of the window, stretched her muscles and swung her legs to the side and quickly changed back into her clothes which were neatly folded in the empty arm chair and hurriedly escaped from the window, leaving the bed a messy heap. Sakura ran to Naruto's apartment, where she furiosly knocked on his door. She wanted to talk to somebody, anybody,  
to take the pain of loneliness away. When Naruto didn't answer, Sakura figured he could be outside and ran around the village, trying to find him. She saw him in the ramen shop with a girl next to him, they were laughing cheerfully. Sakura paused, whether she should interrupt or not and turned away, wondering where to go. She saw Sasuke from the corner of her eye, sitting down in a bench. She approached him, and he seemed surprised to see her.

"Hey, mind if I sit next to you?" Sakura asked. Sasuke shook his head and Sakura sat next to him, admiring the scenary of a playground, with children running around, laughing with their parents. Sakura felt a pang of pain her chest and she saw Sasuke's face darken.

"Wheres your parents?" Sakura asked. Sasuke tensed and she stared as he tried to carefully choose his words. Sakura knew what happened to his family, they were massacred by his own brother. Though she knew, Sakura wanted to hear from Sasuke's prospective.  
Because she was sick like that.

"...they were killed" he finally said, clenching his fists. Sakura took his hand and he looked up, surprised with a sudden blush in his cheeks. Physical contact with a girl was something he was never really used to.

"I never really meet my parents, and they died a long time ago" Sakura lied-she never really knew her parents. She gazed at the sky and felt Sasuke's eyes widened as he stared at his hands entwined with hers and he scowled. Sakura took her hand and Sasuke felt dissapointment wash through him, but he felt better nonetheless. Here he was, having a normal life striving to kill his brother, and this girl with ridicolous coloured hair came by, making herself interesting.

"You want to go with me to eat ramen? Naruto will probably be there" Sakura said, standing up. Sasuke nodded, and stood up and both figures walked down the ramen resturant. The young boy blushing, the young girl laughing.

Thanks so much for reviewing! It makes me so happy to see you guys like my story! will try to update soon but stupid homework keeps coming! EXAMS! 


	8. Chapter 8

"Sakura, flick your wrist like this. Naruto, be patient and countinue to attack the dummy, Sasuke control your fire jutsu!" Kakashi bossed around his genin team mercilessly day and night, preparing them for the coming chuunin exmas. He knew his team were going to ace it, but he just wanted it to be perfect and flawless. Team 7 knew about these exams and trained with dedication, even Naruto-to Kakashi's amusement-had obeyed his orders for once to train his style. He watched them progress and improve dramaticlly, from basic techniques to transforming them into advanced attacks, enough to even make him lose his guard. After the day had ended, the three exhausted genin collasped in the rough ground and hungrily drank their water. Kakashi,  
cheerful and optimistic as ever, knelt down in front of his team.

"These chuunin exams are coming up, I want you to work hard okay, don't let me down" he said. His team managed a weak agreement, before stumbling home-tired from today's intense training. As Sakura headed home and opened the door, she froze and collapsed on the floor, feeling pain surge through her body before her vision went blurry. Not again, she thought weakly as she passed out on the cold, floorboards.

...XxX...

Sakura sat in the floor, black smoke gathering around her as the black, thick tail wrapped around her waist and brought her closer to the demon himself. Sakura gazed at the red moon, shivering and hearing the desperate pleas of the victims being slaughtered. Disgusting, Sakura thought clenching her teeth. She hated visiting this sanctuary, it made her feel nauseous and light headed. One crimson eye flared open, it's ten black dots swirling as the demon laughed darkly, his tails swaying around him.

"These exams is an oppurtunity to show your true potentiol" he whispered darkly. Sakura flinched slightly, but didn't reply. She knew the demon's dreams were to unite as one with her, but she couldn't bear to think that small, drop of humanity left in her fade away completely-she just wanted this beast to leave her alone so she could get on with life without having to constantly worry all the time.

"...you'll never take control of me" Sakura replied. She slowly flicked a kunai and pressed it in her arm, droplets of blood falling to the floor. Shocked that her trick didn't work and she found herself in the sanctuary still, she sobbed and stabbed the tails.

"Let me go! Please, I promise to use your chakra!" Sakura cried. The demon laughed and slowly let her go, his eyes shining like the red moon before Sakura slowly fell to the floor.

...XxX...

Sakura woke up to find herself in the sofa, gasping and panting. Sweat trickled down her spine and she sighed, running up the stairs to the bathroom to take a deserved shower. The cold water seemed to melt some sort of barrier around her skin, and she only sighed with happiness. As she stepped out and changed back into a black shirt and pants, she stared at her stomach for a moment, stroking the seal in her stomach and sighed, heading to her bedroom. Sakura opened the window of her bedroom and breathed in the cool breeze, smiling absent mindedly. The chuunin exams were coming up,  
Sakura thought as she stared at the dusty box underneath her bed. It was time to prepare her weapons, she thought as she took out the box underneath her bed and opened it's clasp, revealing rows of shiny kunais, two long katanas and paper bombs were neatly laid out, looking clean and presentable. Sakura slowly took out a the katana, endless amount of kunais and five paper bombs. She laid it out on the window sill, happy that she didn't have to worry anymore. Sakura then remembered her promise to the beast and frowned, her happy mood shattered. She sat down at the edge of her bed, sighing as she lay down on her bed, wrapping the blankets around her tiny frame protectively.

Sasuke carelessly placed a random set of weapons, not caring in the world how he chose to dress up but still wanted to look his best anyways. His thoughts drifted to his other teammate and he grunted as he remembered his female comrade's kindness towards him. Who does she think she is? he thought angrily as he hastily prepared his weapons. With her ridicolous pink hair, weird green eyes and a strong bond with Naruto-Sakura was an annoying pest to Sasuke, a distraction he thought as he came to the conclusion. What was he doing anyway, thinking of that annoying girl, Sasuke thought. He needed to train, just to get his attention somewhere else than his female teammate.

Naruto gazed at the breathless scenary and grinned, his fingers running through his tangled locks. He was so excited for the chuunin exams, he promised himself to never let his team down-especially Sakura. Naruto's cheeks burned just at the thought of her, sacrificing her time during her childhood to play with him, care for him-to love him was all Naruto wanted, for a long time. He was so happy he could find a friend like that, and he swore to protect her though she was a grown up now and could handle situations better than him, he still strived to protect her. I'll become Hokage for you Sakura, Naruto thought as he stared at the sky, a determined expression in his face.

XXXX

Sakura meet her teammates in the red bridge and to her disbelief and amazement, she saw their sensei for once-and maybe only this time-on time. Kakashi chuckled as he saw his female student's stunned face, but was rather hurt that his team had such a low opinion of him. It was quite rude and tragic really, he thought as he waited for his other students to appear. Naruto came and then Sasuke, giving Kakashi stares of utter disbelief.

"It's not really a shock that I'm on time, is it?" Kakashi said, crossing his arms. His students said nothing and Kakashi sighed, feeling offended. As he lead his students to the building to meet some other transfer students that were taking part on the exams, and then hopefully he could meet his friends. The thought of the ever smoking Asuma, the cynical Kurenai and the youthful Gai made Kakashi smiled and spirits lift up. As Team 7 approached a door, Kakashi paused and turned around, seeing the eyes of his students that expressed pure excitement. Even Sasuke who had great control of hiding his emotions, could not cover his excitement.

"Don't let me down, I know you brats will win!" Kakashi said, before dissapearing in a puff of smoke. Sakura sighed and opened the wooden door, and then, the ever idiotic Naruto decided to declare his identity and unfortunetly, Sasuke's and Sakura's. They received looks throughout the whole process as the other approaching teams came, calling Naruto a baka. Ino, a blonde haired girl, wrapped her hands around Sasuke's neck who in return, gave a look of distgust. Sakura smirked and sat down, feeling tired and exhausted all of a sudden-probably from the excitement. Her eyes narrowed when a silver haired ninja approached the group of Konoha genin, that contained Naruto and Sasuke with other teams. Sakura's eyes turned a clear, sapphire hue and suddenly-she knew the mysterious silver haired ninja. Kabuto, apprentince of Orochimaru, Sakura thought grimly. She had to tell somebody about this, Sakura thought darkly and searched the room until her eyes landed on a big man, a scar in his face with stern eyes and a frown. Ibiki, Sakura noted, examining him slowly as she approached him. He eyed her a little, confused and surprised at the same moment.

"Sakura Haruno. Level, Genin. I need to talk to the Hokage, something is going on" Sakura said dryly. Ibiki paused for a bit, but heard the serious tone and nodded, leading her to a small white room, where the Hokage sat, examining the entrance papers of the foreign genins. His brow tilted upwards when he saw Sakura enter the room with Ibiki behind her. She paused for a bit before she drew a long breath.

"Kabuto. Apprentince of Orochimaru is here" she said simply. The ANBU tensed and glanced at the Hokage, who drew a ragged breath and coughed a bit, before breathing sharply in his smoke pipe and frowned.

"Thank you for your observation Sakura-san. We will handle the situation carefully" he replied. Sakura nodded, and before she exited the room to enter the first process of the chuunin exams with her teammates,  
she paused and without looking back said:

"Looks like your going to meet one of your favourite students, Hokage-sama" Sakura said, feeling the shocked stares of the people inside the room. Sakura walked away slowly, and found her teammates surronded by the usual gaggle of the other teams.

"Kiba, stop annoying me!" Naruto whined, flinging his arms wildly. Sakura rolled her eyes and sat down, examining the group with mild interest. Her thoughts diverted to Kabuto, who was taking sneaky glances at Sakura before approaching her. He smiled kindly, but Sakura was not fooled-she never let her guard down.

"Is it alright if I sit next to you?" he asked. Sakura plastered on a fake smile, if she wanted to learn more about him, se had to be kind to sneak underneath his skin. She nodded and adjusted to one side for more space to the silver haired genin, who eyed her with curiosity.

"My name is Sakura, by the way" she said, smiling. The silver haired ninja nodded, tilting his round shaped glasses before he replied.

"Kabuto here" he said simply, flickering through his cards. Sakura eyed them suspicously, but decided to brush away the sudden spark of curiosity that flamed in her stomach. She would have to be careful, she thought,  
Kabuto is Orochimaru's apprentince, he learns one or two things from the great snake Sannin himself. Soon, they were ushered into a room with desks filled with test papers and pens. It was an exam, Sakura thought dryly as she glanced at the seating plan before sitting down next to a stranger.

"If you are caught cheating, you will be disquilified from the exams. The tenth question we will answer together at the end" Ibiki said. He paused, as if to reload his gun and countinued.

"Begin" he said, and sat down in the chair, eyeing Sakura carefully as she easily answered the questions without a second thought. Sakura's thoughts drifted to her teammates, and she knew Sasuke would be fine since he seemed intellegent himself, but Naruto. She didn't like being mean, but due to her blunt replies and sarcastic comments, her remarks would come harsh but true. Naruto had spirit and strength, but lacked intellegence. Sakura could just imagine him, sweaty and nervous. She then smirked when she realised Ino was trying to get inside her mind using that mind technique of hers, but she swiftly blocked the entrance (pros of having a demon inside of you is that they are very, very secretive creatures Sakura then saw a flying kunai pass her and landed firmly between Naruto, who was sweating hard now next to a blushing Hinata.

"You, out" Ibiki commanded. Naruto squeked and pointed a finger to himself, when he realized it was the boy behind him, he slumped back to his seat, relieved and happy.

"And take your team with you" Ibiki said, opening the doors as the exit. The foreign team grumbled, glaring daggers at their teammate who caused them failure. Sakura glanced at Sasuke, who looked relieved beyond belief that it wasn't them making a rather early exit. Sakura turned back to her work and checked it thoroughly.

"Those who feel like quitting, stand up and get out. If you believe the tenth question is too hard for you take, I suggest you stand up and quit" Ibiki said, after a good thirty minutes of the test. There was silence, before Naruto slowly stood up, and then slammed his hand on the desk. Sakura rolled her eyes, expecting the famed speech of Uzumaki Naruto yet again.

"You'll never make me quit!" he said, and stubbornly crossed his arms and sat on the wooden chair. The tension died down, and some genin teams looked more stronger, as if Naruto's words had healed their cowardice. Sakura smirked,  
so Naruto does have balls, she thought dryly. Since nobody stood up and exited, Ibiki closed the door and cleared his throat.

"The tenth question was to prove your courage, trust and most of all-cheating without being noticed" Ibiki said. He was about to say they all passed, when a curtain covered him and Anko, with her cocky grin and crazy hair, flew in from the window. Here comes the rather extravagant introduction, Ibiki thought dryly behind the curtain, shaking his head at Anko's antics.

"All right brats! Let's get a move on and go to the second phase of the chuunin exams! Now shoo!" Anko said with a loud voice. The students were dazed at first, trying to sink in on what the hell just happened, and then Anko gave them a threatening glare and they swarmed out of the door. Sakura hit Naruto around the head, who was rather hurt by the gesture.

"Baka! Risking our place in the finals like that" she scolded, but a small playful smile graced her face. Naruto grinned sheepishly and Sakura hugged him, ruffling his hair with a scowl in her face.

"Don't ever do that to me and Sasuke, you obnoxious blonde" Sakura said, crossing her arms. Naruto blushed, replaying the scene over his head. Sure, he and Sakura had hugged but they were kids back then, now Sakura was all grown up and so pretty. Naruto blushed a deep scarlet while Sasuke glared daggers at him. Team 7 headed out to the second phase of the chuunin exams, to meet the rest of the genins who stood in front of a large forest, with a big and broken sign that said 'Forest of Death' that sent shivers down Naruto's spine as he stared at it. Anko clapped her hands, gaining attention from the excited genins and cleared her throat, a cocky grin forming in her lips.

"Next phase of the chuunin exams is the Forest of Death. Each team will be given either an Earth or Heaven scroll. If you have a Earth scroll, you need to find a Heaven scroll. If you have a Heaven scroll, you must find the Earth scroll. You have five days to complete the task, if you are finished head to the tower in the middle of the forest and wait there for your sensei to come and collect you. Understand?" Anko said clearly. The crowd of students nodded their heads and soon lined up to collect their scrolls. Sakura watched as Naruto placed the scroll in his hands, giggling like a girl with excitement. Sakura's eyes turned a sapphire hue as she stared at Anko's back and she narrowed her eyes as she took in the new information. Anko, ex-apprentince of Orochimaru, has the Cursed Seal. Her thoughts drifted to Kabuto, and she decided to keep a close eye on the mysterious silver haired ninja. As they were escorted into different gates, Sasuke cleared his throat gaining attention from his teammates.

"Let's have the original scroll with Sakura and the fake one with Naruto" he said. Sakura nodded and quickly made a replica of the Earth scroll, which she placed in Naruto's bag. The gates opened and Team 7 ran inside, pausing for breath.  
Suddenly, Sakura had an idea and nudged Sasuke and Naruto's shoulders, who stared at her.

"We need some sort of code name in case some people try to become a Naruto, Sasuke or me replica" Sakura said, straightening up. Sasuke paused and nodded slowly and the three genin stood there, quietly thinking on what they could use. Naruto's eyes lit up and he grinned foolishly. Sakura cringed, wondering what Naruto was going to come up with.

"We can use...'Awesome Naruto Team'" he whispered the code name and Sakura and Sasuke exchanged glances, shaking thier heads in unison. Naruto pouted, and realised it was a childish nickname and wouldn't be fair for Sakura anyways.  
Sakura's eyes lit up/

"Let's use Team we-are-so-going-to-kick-you-butt" Sakura whispered. Sasuke smirked and nodded, whilst Naruto kept nagging for Sakura to tell it again so he could remember it. As Sakura double checked the fake Earth scroll in Naruto's bag and the real one, which was strapped around her thigh securely, Team 7 exchanged nods and just as they were about to head out to find a Heaven scroll-there was a loud explosion and the three of them hid away. Three distinct figures appeared in the smoke. Sakura's eyes turned a sapphire hue and she gasped, realising one of them was none other than the infamous Orochimaru.

Trouble stirs up...I'll try to update as fast as I can, I usally work on the story at night and spend half the rest of the day studying and dying! Thanks for reading xxx 


	9. Chapter 9

Sakura held her kunai tightly in her hands, praying her other teammates were safe. Dust and grit swirled around her ankles and Sakura chewed her bottom lip, taking small glances at the intruders. They dissappeared, and Sakura took another check to see if they were truly gone and approached Sasuke, whose eyes narrowed at her with suspicion. Such a worry guts,  
Sakura thought shaking her head. But then again, it was better to be worried and curious than dead, Sakura thought again as she recited the passcode. Sasuke relaxed, but at the corner of Sakura's eyes she saw Naruto running up to them, foolishly grinning like the child he is. Sakura and Sasuke exchanged glances and narrowed their eyes at Naruto, who grinned at them.

"Passcode?" Sakura asked, her kunai twirling at her finger tips. Sasuke's shoulders tensed, waiting for the answer to come.

"Team we-are-so-going-to-kick-you-butt" Naruto whispered. Sasuke threw a kunai at him, which Naruto dodged and yelped. He pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke and Sakura lunged forward, holding him by the collar and slamming his back agaisnt the tree trunk roughly. Her face was blank, her eyes a green pool of strange calmness as she placed the kunai under Naruto's throat.

"The Naruto I know could never, ever remember that!" Sakura hissed and took a step back, glancing at Sasuke who nodded at her. Naruto countinued to look confused, but Sakura was not fooled one bit-she knew this wasn't Naruto.

"I know your not Naruto, now reveal yourself. Party's over, unfortunetly" Sakura said, griding her teeth agaisnt eachother. Naruto paused for a second, and a dark look overtook his happy expression and a tongue came out, licking his lips. He chuckled.

"Your clever" the fake Naruto said, in a feminine voice. There was a loud explosion and right in front of Sakura and Sasuke, a man that looked distinctly like Orochimaru stood, clutching his straw hat. He smirked and tossed it carelessly aside, licking his lips and examining the two genins with delight. Sakura glanced at Sasuke, who had a serious expression in his face. She gripped her kunai, her thoughts wondering where Naruto might be. I hope his okay, she thought worriedly. Now was not the time to be a two man squad instead of three.

Somewhere in the forest...

A dazed Naruto lay in the floor with ashes swirling around him from his collision with the tree trunk. He groaned in pain and rolled to his side and slowly stood up, with the help of the faithful tree branch.

"Hey...where did Sasuke and Sakura go? I hope-"

He was interrupted when he heard a hiss, and he slowly lifted his gaze and to his utter disbelief, saw a giant snake with it's abnormally long tongue slithering in and out from it's mouth. Naruto blinked, trying to sink in the snake before him.

"Oh my god, it's a snake!" Naruto shreiked childishly in a high pitched voice. The snake slowly approached Naruto, who was frozen at the spot with worry and fear. Naruto shook his head, willing himself to be strong when the snake dived in head first. Naruto flew away from the attack and landed nearby, turning around sharply to see the snake coming his way, wrapping the body of Naruto around it's tail.

"I can't...move!" Naruto said in a hoarse voice, gasping as he struggled to move agaisnt the tight grip of the enormous snake. It suddenly opened it's mouth and to Naruto's horror, swallowed him inside. The snake moved away, triumphant for it's sudden success of eating Naruto, who slowly slid inside the snake's stomach.

Back to Sakura and Sasuke...

The man took out the Heaven scroll, swaying it side by side. Sakura gasped, if only she could snatch it away from him without using the demon's chakra, Sakura thought sadly. Her opponent seemed strong and high skilled, which was not fair since these forests were supposed to have genin contestants. It would be so useful to use the unlimited supply of chakra, she thought but she knew she couldn't, the demon would have a chance of taking over the little bit of humanity within Sakura.

"You'd love to get your hands on my Heaven scroll, wouldn't you?" he asked, smiling in a sadistic way. Suddenly, to both of the genin's disgust and horror, the man swallowed it whole and licked his lips, as if it was appetising and smiled with satisfaction. Sakura shuddered and took a step back, disgusted by the man's actions. She glanced at Sasuke, who was trying his best to hide the mortified look that appeared in his features.

"When this is over, one of us will have the two scrolls...the other dead" the man said, and slowly lifted his fingers to his eyes. Suddenly, Sakura and Sasuke were in a wide space, dripping with blood agaisnt the tree trunks. Their clothes were ripped, knives plunged in their vital spots and their hearts, smothered in their own blood. Both of them collapsed in the hard, rough ground and a kunai sped past and hit the remaning Team 7's forehead, and they gasped and fell to the floor. Not realising it was a jutsu, in the real world both were shuddering and shivering on the ground. Even Sasuke, who was aware of his ego, did not seem to care about the humuliation-he was far too preoccupied in the jutsu. Sakura's eyes widened, her eyes far away and a dazed look came to her. Sasuke and Sakura were taken away from the jutsu, and they gasped, swaying side to side, trying to balance on their weak knees. Sakura closed her eyes, refusing to stare at the opponents eyes again. She glanced at Sasuke, whose eyes were wide and he drew hard, ragged breaths and suddenly knelt over and vomited. Sakura looked away, hearing the hard breaths from her male comrade and she shuddered, wondering if she sounded like that. Pain surged through Sakura's bones and she knelt down, clutching her stomach, the demon was begging her now to use his chakra but Sakura resisted, no matter how tempting the offer was. Maybe I can go through this without relying on the demon, but she knew it was immpossible since the opponent left her and Sasuke weak with pain and greif from the illusion. The man stared with a blank expression at the two genin, before smirking at his success.

Sasuke's hands were shaking violently, and he grabbed for Sakura hands and held it tightly, never leaving his eyes at their opponent. Sakura did not question Sasuke's motives, since she wanted support badly as well. Sakura raised her chin, determined not to be afraid of this person, who was the pinacle of her and Sasuke's sudden pain.

"...who are you?" she whispered in a hoarse voice. Sasuke clutched her hand tightly, closing his eyes as sweat trickled down his forehead. He had just experienced his own death, he thought with wide eyes, and Sakura-she might have had it worse. Sasuke stared at his female teammate, who was trembling violently with tears falling from her eyes. We need to get out of here, Sasuke thought weakly and glanced at their opponent.

With Naruto...

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!" Naruto cried from the inside of the snake's stomach. He often gagged at the sight of the green slime covering the snake's stomach, but shook his head and decided to concentrate on how he was going to escape and find his teammates. Naruto took out a kunai and stabbed it at the snake, and he cried in pain as the walls of the stomach squished him further, making it hard for him to breath.

"I'll make you sorry for swallowing me!" Naruto threatened. He paused, and took out a rice ball from his pouch, struggling even harder to grasp some oxygen.

"Wouldn't you rather have this?" Naruto asked, before it slipped from his fingers and melted inside the snake's stomach. Naruto's eyes widened, feeling sick at the sight before him. It digested just like that, Naruto thought with fear and soon-it'll be him digesting.

"SAKURA! SASUKE! HELP!" He gave one last cry before slipping even deeper inside the snake.

Sakura and Sasuke...

"Your paralyzed with fear" the man noted, smirking as he stared at the two genin who were helplessly shivering. What's wrong with me, Sasuke thought angrily, move dammit! He glanced at his female teammate, who was closing her eyes and opening them again, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Sasuke gripped Sakura's hand, and knew he had to get them away to safety-away from this monster. I can't, I can't, I can't Sakura thought repeatedly, wondering if she should use the demon's chakra to get rid of the powerful ninja. She glanced at Sasuke, who was struggling to move and clutched his hand, trying to calm herself down. She watched as Sasuke shakily grabbed a kunai from his pouch and slowly stood up, shaking and trembling. Sakura watched helplessly, and with the help of Sasuke's hand, stood up in her wobbly knees. The opponent smirked, his eyes firmly on Sasuke but he took sneaky glances at Sakura, who stared at him with her emerald green eyes.

"Bravo! You stood up" the man said in a mocking tone. Sakura clenched her jaw, wanting nothing more than to use some of the demon's chakra and breaking that annoying man's neck. The man eyed her carefully, taking a couple of steps forward with a blank expression. Sasuke felt Sakura's hand tense, and he glanced at her shaking arms and knees, griding his teeth agaisnt eachother. Neither of them were in any condition to fight, they were weak and helpless agaisnt the highly skilled ninja.

"Your thirst for blood is incredible" he said, indicating to Sakura. She clenched her jaw and with a woobly hand, did a jutsu and her and Sasuke appeared behind a tree, their chakra concealed. Sasuke gave her a thankful look, but it was replaced by a shocked and scared one, when the man appeared behind Sasuke and declared, his tongue licking his lips.

"Let the games begin" their opponent said, before smirking.

With Naruto...

Naruto clawed at the slimy flesh and desperately tried to bring himself up, but his fingers slipped and he fell deeper and deeper. Naruto shut his eyes, his body shaking as he realized with horror-this is it, this is how Uzumaki Naruto was going to die, inside a snake-his ambitious goals not achieved. Images of Kakashi, Sasuke, Iruka, the Hokage and Sakura came flashing through his brain, and he gripped his knuckles and closed his eyes, before opening them again and grinning.

"No way am I going to give up now!" Naruto said, grinning. He would not let Sakura and Sasuke down, he still had to beat Sasuke and impress Sakura, and how the hell was he supposed to do that if his courage had withered, for one second? I must be strong! he thought fiercely and closed his eyes, trying to make up some sort of plan to escape and kill the snake for revenge. His eyes suddenly opened and he noticed the snake was sleeping, and as he tried to place his shaky hands to do his trademark Shadow Clone jutsu, he smiled at how Sakura would be so proud of him for being so smart to figure out on how to escape! Sasuke-teme will be so jealous, Naruto thought gleefully.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he cried, and a hundred Narutos appeared around him, and the snake withered and moved, until the stomach exploded and a very happy Naruto, escaped, brushing off the disgusting slime. The clones dissappeared around him and he grinned happily, punching the air in delight.

"Whoo! I made it!" he said, and looked around, suddenly aware of the new problem he had to solve.

How the hell was he going to find his teammates? 


	10. Chapter 10

In this chapter, the Ten Tails can talk to her in her mind, so when he talks, it looks like this:

...blah, blah, blah, blah...

Note there are three dots, I hope you won't be confused about this! Tenth chapter, hope you enjoy xxx

Naruto sped past the trees, his thoughts drifting to his teammates and he worriedly wondered if Sakura was hurt or not. Nah! Sakura-chan will be fine, she's strong, Naruto thought, reassuring himself that his beloved female comrade was safe and sound and kicking ass. There was a piercing scream, and Naruto paused, walking towards the direction of the scream with a kunai at his hand. He peeked through a door, and his eyes widened as he saw a redhead Sand ninja, his sand swirling around him with blood splattered around the rough ground. Naruto's eyes widened and he watched the mysterious person glance at his direction and he yelped, running away quickly. Scary guy, he thought as he countinued his futile search for his teammates, which showed no sign of improvement whatsoever. The soil crunched agaisnt his soles, and the lingering scent of moss and dust blocked his nose, and suddenly, the forest turned a dark, sickly shade of green and Naruto's eyes widened, wondering where he was. Suddenly, a vine appeared out of nowhere and wrapped around Naruto's body, and he cried in pain. Now is so not the time to be messing with me! Naruto thought, stabbing the vines with his kunai. He didn't notice the vine sneak inside his bag and take out the fake Heaven scroll and the illusion dissappeared, leaving a confused Naruto sitting on the rough ground, he reached out inside his bag to double-check the scroll was in there, and when he realized it was gone, he gave a fake yell of horror.

"No! The scroll!" Naruto cried, before snickering and running away. Ha! Too bad it was fake, he thought as he leapt from branch to branch. Naruto could not be bothered to make any effort in the genjutsu, it was useless-besides, they had taken the fake scroll anyway, so bad karma to them! Naruto scanned the forest, sometimes pausing for breath, before setting out to find his teammates with a determined look in his eyes.

XXXX

The man kicked Sasuke from his spine and he was sent hurtling towards the tree trunk, where he screamed in agony. The opponent licked his lips as he grabbed a fistful of Sakura's hair and held her up, delighted at the sight of her tears streaming down her cheeks. Sasuke stood up, overcome with anger as he saw his female comrade being held like a piece of meat, and clenched his kunai so tight, three droplets of blood escaped from his fngertips. He was trembling now, trembling with so much anger and hate as he saw Sakura being tossed aside carelessly, and he lunged towards the man, screaming his battle cry. The opponent smirked and dissappeared quickly, and Sasuke scanned the place, wondering where he was before approaching the fragile Sakura, who was unconscious and lying on the dirty floor with so much scars and bruises. As Sasuke was about to check her pulse, a cold sword was gently placed agaisnt her delicate neck and Sasuke froze, realizing what he was going to do. The opponent smirked, tapping the sharp sword agaisnt Sakura's neck, gently digging it in to make a trail of blood run down her neck. Sasuke panted and he meet his gaze with the smirking Orochimaru, who licked his lips.

"Touch her, and I'll chop her head off and swallow it whole" he whispered harshly. Sasuke shuddered and took two steps back, his gaze never breaking Orochimaru. He needed to save Sakura, he thought as he clenched his fist and memories of seeing her being kicked and a kunai plunged deep in her shoulder while he was tied up in the tree trunk came to him, and he shuddered. Sasuke couldn't allow the closest friend he had to die in front of him, he had lost so many people already. Flashbacks of the massacre came flooding in his mind, and he fell on his knees, clutching his throbbing head as the memories came flickering past. Something sank in his teeth, and pain surged through his bones and flesh, and his eyes became blurry as he helplessly dragged his body to Sakura's weak form, and reached out to hold her hand tightly.

"I'll protect you Sakura" Sasuke said roughly, his shaky hands holding Sakura's cold hands. Soon, he was unconscious and both genin lay on the rough ground, their hands entwined together as a happy Orochimaru stared at them, idly kicking Sasuke's rib cage. He felt another prescence and he turned around, to meet the vicious glare of Naruto Uzumaki himself, his hand shaking as he stared at his two teammates, lying on the ground. The Kyuubi vessel, Orochimaru thought as he lunged in to attack Naruto, swiftly knocking him out. What an interesting team, he thought to himself as he dissappeared within the shady trees, vanishing in thin air.

A sore Sakura blinked her eyes a couple of times and groaned as pain hit her suddenly, making her cry in pain. She noticed Sasuke's finger entwined with hers and she smiled softly, a tear running down her cheeks. She got on her knees and scrambled on her feet, putting both her passed-out teammates over her arms as she walked down a dirty path, realizing the best for now was to create a hideout for her male teammates to rest, and eventually they'd wake up and Team 7 would countinue their search again for the Earth scroll. Sakura realized the scroll was still around her thigh, and she sighed happily, thankful that Orochimaru had left the scroll and her teammates half alive. How very thoughtful of him, Sakura thought dryly as she placed Sasuke and Naruto's body on the ground, sighing. She hoped nobody would try to ambush them, she was in no condition to fight and it didn't seem Sasuke nor Naruto would wake soon. Sakura took out a piece of cloth and dipped it in the nearby stream, before cleaning the bruises on her male teammates gently. She brushed the cloth agaisnt the wounds carefully, not wanting to hurt it or make it even worse than it was. As hours passed, Sakura found it hard not to sleep beside Naruto, but she had to stay awake-she had to protect her teammates. Pain surged through her bones, and the beast was begging her now to use his chakra, tempting her by saying the chakra could heal Naruto and Sasuke, and make her stronger. But Sakura didn't trust the demon, she couldn't even bear to think of the demon's chakra anywhere near her male comrades. She had to keep them safe, from the demon within her and other attackers that might come by.

Sakura's eyes dropped for a second, but she snapped them open again, gritting her teeth at her sleepiness. She stared down at her male comrades and knew she had to keep them safe, they had protected her while she just stood there, wondering if she should use her demon's chakra or not. When are you going to protect yourself? Sakura thought bitterly, looking down at her dirty hands and clenched them, angry and dissapointed at herself for being so weak. I need to protect them, she thought determindly, and the only way she was going to stay awake was to injure herself. So Sakura dug her kunai in her arm, and she hissed at the pain but at least she was wide awake now. The demon was bargaining with her now, saying he could heal her and her teammates, take them to safety of the tower and remain there until the five days were up. But she couldn't, Sakura knew if she used the demon's chakra, he would take over her, ruthlessly killing anybody in his path. The only person that can stop the demon, Sakura thought, is Naruto. Sure, the Kyuubi's power was no match for the great beast himself, but with Naruto's courage-maybe, he could kill the demon within her, to stop her pain and misery. In all her life, Sakura had been bullied by the demon, saying she was the Child of Darkness, that her destiny was to destroy this world with the demon and only one could stop her. Sakura stared at Naruto's form and she shut her eyes tightly, she would never bring herself to hurt her best friend, she would find her own destiny and fate-she would not become the Prophecy Child of Darkness, she will seal her own destiny and fate and break the rules. The demon chuckled inside her mind, and Sakura scowled at his cocky attitude. Ever since the wretched beast had found a way to speak to her without making her fall unconscious, he had been bugging her day and night, sending her dreams of herself killing people with bloodlust in her eyes. She had woken up, crying and sobbing, her sheets tangled around her after the worst nightmares. But she knew one day she would have to use the demon's chakra, but she would use it for the right things, and she would have control over him. If only I had somebody to tell my dark secret, she thought. She could never bring herself to tell Kakashi, no matter how kind he was-Sakura always knew she had to tell somebody else who was older, wiser and had experienced the bloody wars first hand. She didn't exactly know why, but deep in her heart she knew that person might understand her pain and sorrow.

Sakura's ears perked up when she heard the faint rustle of leaves, and she slowly stood up with her kunai twirling around her fingertips, her body tense. She glanced at the sleeping forms of her teammates, and quickly did three shadow clones of herself for extra protection. In the last three hours of sitting down, guarding her teammates, Sakura had stored enough chakra to fight at least a hundred people, one of the many pros and cons of the Yin seal on her forehead, which she always hid with an easy jutsu, enough to make her sensei not realizing one of his students had the Yin seal that took many years to complete, but for Sakura-she was born with it, just like her strange sapphire blue eyes, that would store enough intel about a person with just one look or at the dark side, the equivelant to the Rinnengan. But in all her knowledge, she knew that people who blessed her strange eye technique-which was only her and two other ninjas in the world, who had died-that it came from the stars, a curse for the fallen ones. It was said every billion years, a star would fall and inherit the sapphire blue eye technique, and another strange one which Sakura was yet to unlock. It scared her slightly on how much she knew, and she had never told anybody about her eye techniques or her other mysterious jutsus, because she knew the village would suspect her for her remarkable power. That's why she had to carefully conceal her demon's chakra and her Yin seal on her forehead, because if somebody spotted it-she was going to be in deep trouble and suspicion.

She glanced at the trees, her eyes turning a sapphire hue and she could see three figures hiding, carefully concealing their chakra. Too bad they were going agaisnt her, Sakura thought with a cocky smirk. Though it scared her that she had so much power yet so little control over them, it excited her that she had an eye technique that was so rare, some people really doubted if it was true or not. The demon chuckled darkly, his eyes flaring with bloodlust in Sakura's mind. Sakura shuddered, never getting used to the fact that not only was the demon inside of her, but inside her mind too. It was so invading her privacy, Sakura thought as her eyes turned back into green.

"I know your there. Pity you didn't conceal your chakra enough" Sakura said, instantly regretting it. That attitude will do nothing Sakura, she thought as three Sound ninjas appeared, glaring daggers at her. Three agaisnt one? she thought weakly, Sakura couldn't bring herself to kill people-even though she had done it in the past. She suddenly shook that stupid idea away, realizing that of course she was going to kill them three, it was all part of being a ninja.

...Kill them slowly Sakura, allow them to taste their blood and take their hearts out...

Sakura wrinkled her nose at the idea, and nearly gagged at the mental picture. But she returned her attention back to the three Sound ninjas, and Sakura realized that she'd have to kill the girl as well. Pity, she thought, she has really nice hair. God, what was she turning into? Sakura thought, she was becoming just like the beast, cocky and superior.

"Hand us your precious Sasuke-kun, and we will leave without killing you and your blonde teammate" the boy said in a mocking tone. Sakura narrowed her eyes and shook her head, no way in hell was she going to hand over Sasuke. The Sound ninja looked annoyed at her stubborn attitude and grinned, holding her hands up to do a jutsu. Ear piercing sound waves vibrated through the air, but Sakura didn't flinch, shocking the Sound ninjas at her calm personality. Don't mess with the Yin seal, bitches! Sakura thought, grinning wildly as she quickly did a jutsu. A large sword appeared and Sakura grabbed the handle, her eyes turning a sapphire hue except it was a few shades darker. The Sound ninjas took a step back, and as Sakura lunged in for the first attack, she swiped her sword at the girl but she dodged it, much to Sakura's dismay. Sakura dissapeared and slowly sunk to the ground, leaving some shocked Sound ninjas before appearing behind the girl, swiftly cutting her hair with her sharp sword. The girl yelped and screamed as she stared at the pieces of her hair lying on the floor, her eyes burned with rage and revenge and the Sound girl reached in for a punch. Sakura was about to dodge it when a hand came in, swiftly blocking the punch. Sakura lifted her gaze to see Sasuke, who was wide awake and whoose Cursed Seal was slowly activating, making dark chakra surrond the boy, whoose eyes darkened as he stared at their opponents. Sakura glanced at Naruto, checking if he was awake but he was still sleeping, his eyes shut tightly.

"Sasuke, control it" Sakura hissed, reaching a hand to gently tap the Cursed Seal. Sasuke nodded and with shaky hands, covered the seal and controlled it as best as he could. Sakura wished that she could learn how to make that mark dissappear, which was causing Sasuke so much pain as they fought the annoying Sound ninjas. Sakura panted as she lunged in to attack the person with her first, sure she had enough chakra because of the Yin seal, but she didn't want to waste it for three annoying Sound ninjas her and Sasuke could kill with one flick of their wrists. His holding back, Sakura thought as she glanced worriedly at Sasuke, who took a step back with wobbly legs. Sakura dived in to accept the punch that was meant for Sasuke and was sent hurtling to the tree trunk, and she screamed in pain. I need to protect him, Sakura thought weakly as she got on her feet, panting heavily as she clutched the throbbing bruise on her stomach.

...Use my chakra! Sakura, use my chakra!...

The demon was screaming with rage now to see his vessel so weak. Sakura resisted the urge to use it, and slowly lunged in to accept another blow that was meant for Sasuke, who was having an extremely hard time controlling the seal. Blood and tears mingled together as Sakura collapsed on the floor, a sword plunged in her left thigh, making a large pool of blood. Sakura gasped, her eyes dying to close for a long sleep. The demon was screaming now, thrashing at his chains and the gates, begging her to use his chakra. Sakura felt Sasuke's hand softly carry her and place her next to Naruto, where she held his hand tightly. If I'm going to die, Sakura thought as she clutched Naruto's hand as tears ran down her cheeks, I'm going to die next to Naruto. She watched as Sasuke ruthlessly killed the Sound ninjas, and her thoughts drifted to the third one, who had strangely dissapeared. Her eyes widened as the third Sound ninja stood on a tree branch, his kunai inches apart from a string that kept a big boulder from running down the hill and smashing Sakura and Naruto to pieces. Sakura weakly pushed Naruto away, but it was no use as the Sound ninja cut the string, and the boulder came flying towards her direction.

Sakura clutched Naruto's hand and closed her eyes, waiting for the blow that never came. Instead, she heard hard breathing and opened her eyes to see Sasuke's face inches apart from her, his back and hands holding the boulder, preventing it from crushing Naruto and her. Tears ran down her cheeks as she slowly released her grip at Naruto's hands, and placed them over Sasuke's shaky hands, which was violently trembling from the immense weight. Sasuke's forehead gently brushed agaisnt hers, and Sakura clutched his hands, trembling.

"I'll always protect you" Sasuke said in a hoarse voice. Sakura's eyes widened and she closed her eyes, pushing her hands to push the boulder away. Sakura pushed with all her remaining chakra, her shaky hands grasping Sasuke's as she pushed. The boulder rolled away and collided with the trees, leaving a relieved Sakura and Sasuke. There was a pause, before Sakura slowly meet her gaze with Sasuke's, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, crying on his shoulder. She felt Sasuke lean his forehead agaisnt her shoulder and she broke the embrace, holding Sasuke's hand tightly.

"Thank you" she said softly, hastily wiping her tears away. Her back hurt a lot, but Sakura was happy that her team had made it this far and she gave Sasuke a happy look as she saw the Earth scroll in his hands. Sakura took the Heaven scroll from her thigh and placed it on Sasuke's shaky hands and leaned her forehead agaisnt him, making his eyes widened. Sakura tenderly brushed away his locks, and broke away their gaze as she crawled to a sleeping Naruto. Sasuke watched as their other teammate woke up, looking confused and suddenly made a big fuss about Sakura's bruises, in which she laughed at his worries.

"You were sleeping for ages Naruto!" Sakura said, playfully punching him around the shoulder. Naruto sheepishly grinned and ran his fingers through his hair, looking concerned at Sakura and Sasuke's bruises and eyeing the broken, messy place full of broken trees and a huge boulder with curiosity. As Sakura tried to stand up on her two feet, she fell on her knees and groaned with pain, clutching the deep wound in her left thigh. I can't even stand up! Sakura thought as angry tears formed in the corner of her eyes. To her surprisement, Sasuke knelt down, offering a ride on his back and Sakura weakly protested, before climbing on his back and wrapping her weak, frail arms around his neck. She left her other arm dangling by her side and Team 7 slowly made their way to the Tower, with Naruto holding both scrolls to his chest. Sakura gently tapped Naruto's shoulder and she reached silently for his hand, holding it in a loose grip. Naruto's face softened and he squeezed her hand, he was so angry for himself by sleeping through a battle, in which both of his teammates were injured. Naruto's other hand clenched into a fist and he swore to protect his teammates now, they were the only family that he truly had, and he would not let them die before his very eyes without him doing anything about it.

"Sakura, don't tell Naruto" Sasuke whispered, so only she could hear. Sakura nodded as she stared at the Cursed Seal on his neck, and she shuddered at the memory of Orochimaru biting Sasuke's neck. Soon they arrived, looking dirty and scruffier than the other teams, who eyed them with mild interest. Sakura sighed as she sat down on the cold bench and closed her eyes, leaning agaisnt her knees as she ran her fingers through her tangled pink locks. Sasuke and Naruto stared at her as she stood up abruptly and kneel down in front of Naruto, her hands turning a soft shade of green as she began healing both of them.

"It's the least I could do" she said softly as she healed Sasuke's deep gash on his knee. Sakura was about to heal Sasuke's bruise on his shoulder when he grabbed her wrist, causing her to gasp. Sakura watched as he gently placed her hand agaisnt her shoulder, noticing the soft look on Sasuke's face as he gave her a silent command.

"Heal yourself" he said quietly. Sakura was in no mood to protest and she slumped to the floor, healing the deep wound on her left thigh. She winced at the pain, silently thanking Sasuke for his actions. Naruto and Sasuke stared at their fragile teammate, and they could only watch helplessly as their best friend healed the deep scars in her tiny body. Sasuke flinched every time a trickle of blood ran down and he saw Naruto's gentle look in his face as he stared at Sakura, who quietly mended her wounds. I'll protect you Sakura-chan, Naruto thought as he watched Sakura slowly stand up to sit on the bench in front of him and Sasuke, leaning agaisnt it and sighing as she stretched her tense muscles. Soon, the tower was filled with the whole of the Rookie 9 and some other foreign genins, including the infamous Sand Siblings who arrived with not a single scratch or bruise on them. Naruto tensed as he saw the Sand ninja stare at his team, and he winced when he remembered the damage the Sand ninja had done just to get the scroll. Gaara of the Desert, Sakura thought as she glanced at the Sand genin, who calmly leaned agaisnt the wall, looking blank and expressionless as ever.

...We have the Kyuubi and the Shukaku vessel, how interesting...

Sakura scoffed at his thoughts and countinued to stare at the ceiling, ignoring the looks Kakashi and her team gave her. She tensed when she saw Sasuke wince ever so slightly, and she leaned to whisper in his ear.

"I'm going to tell Kakashi-sensei. No buts" Sakura whispered as she walked to her sensei. Sasuke grabbed her wrist and gave her a pleading look, and Sakura weakly sat next to him as she saw him gripping his neck tightly, his nails digging in to tear his flesh away. Sasuke gave her a pleading look.

"I'll tell him myself, please Sakura" he said quietly in a hushed voice. Sakura sighed and nodded her head, relaxing her tense muscles as she leaned agaisnt the bench. Her mind was racing with memories of Sasuke holding the boulder, saving her and Naruto's lives and she gripped her shirt, vowing that it would be her next to save her teammates lives-she would make sure of it. I'll protect them, and I need to control the demon Sakura thought determindly as she clenched her fist, digging her nails in her palms. Soon, they were ushered into a small arena, lining up in their teams in front of a Konoha Jounin, who gave them a blank look.

"Congrats for making it this far to the third phase of the exams. That board over there-the man pointed at the black board-will say your names and you will fight until one of you forfeits or dies. Any questions, ask later after I've finished. For those who feel like they do not want to countinue for any reason, raise your hand up" the Jounin said. Kabuto raised a hand and walked away, a smirk planted on his face. Sakura clenched her fist as she remembered telling the Hokage in person that Orochimaru was here, and they had done nothing leaving Sasuke with the Cursed Seal. Sakura clenched her fist, realizing they probably didn't believe her-thinking that she was just an ignorant child. Soon, the remaining genins walked up the stairs, waiting for the black board to show the first fight of the third phase. Sakura glanced at an excited Naruto and a pained Sasuke, who meet her gaze with his dark eyes.

Sasuke Uchiha VS Yoroi Akado

Sakura gripped the railings as she saw Sasuke walk down the stairs, giving Sakura a reassuring look before facing his opponent. Sakura could only watch helplessly as the first half of the fight that Yoroi attacked him brutally with no hesitation in his actions. But as the Cursed Seal slowly made marks around his neck, Sakura hung her head, praying that he would be alright. In the end, after Sakura opened her eyes, she realized that Sasuke had won and she glanced at Kakashi, who gave her a glare and beckoned her over. Sakura knew what was going to happen, and she ignored the look on Sasuke's face as she told Kakashi every little detail of their agaisnt Orochimaru, noticing Sasuke clutch his neck painfully as she whispered Orochimaru's name. Kakashi's frown deepened when her story ended and he dragged Sasuke away, leaving a confused Naruto and a scared Sakura, reassuring Naruto constantly that Sasuke was alright. Naruto saw the pained look on her face and he questioned no further and countinued to yell for encouragement for Hinata, who had turned a bright red. Sakura watched the poor girl being devoured by Neji's harsh and cruel words and frowned, yelling encouragement for the meek girl who gave them thankful glances.

"Go on Hinata! Kick his ass!" Sakura yelled. But to no avail, Hinata was going to receive a painful blow when Kurenai, Gai and the Konoha Jounin-Hayate Gekko-lunged in to block his attack. There were gasps as Neji gritted his teeth and struggled to be released from the grip, glaring daggers at the hurt Hinata who was sent away to be treated. In the end, Neji had won and as Sakura eyed him with a disapproving stare (whilst Naruto glared at him, throwing insults in his way) she felt sympathy for the poor Hyuuga girl and wished she could've yelled insults to Neji when he gave Hinata harsh words and cruel attacks. As the trouble died down, Sakura glanced at the black board and her eyes widened.

Sakura Haruno VS Ino Yamanaka

She paused a bit, earning an annoyed stare from Ino who was already on the ground, yelling for her to come. Sakura walked down the stairs, noticing the Sand Siblings eye her with curious eyes. Sakura's eyes turned a sapphire hue, and she noticed a few gasps around the arena. She saw the other senseis of the other teams tense and Sakura could only smirk as she saw fear hidden behind their eyes. Ino, however did not know the dangerous eye technique that Sakura was using, instead she growled.

"As if an eye technique like that could scare me! Prepare to die Haruno!" Ino hollered. Sakura could hear Shikamaru give a sigh and she smirked, knowing how exactly to beat Ino. Killing Ino was rather gruesome, so she opted for the second best chance-humuliation. Sakura gave a dark chuckle as she pierced her eyes through Ino's brain, and Ino in return collapsed on the floor, shaking with fear and pain.

...Her insides are ripping apart, good job...

Sakura shivered at the demon's words but countinued her jutsu as she slowly yanked Ino's hair, her eyes never leaving her brain as she held her hair up, cutting it slowly with her sharp kunai. She saw Ino's team-which consisted of Shikamaru and Chouji-gasp as Ino's hair fell on the ground slowly, making a terrible mess. Sakura let go of Ino's hair and kicked her spine, sending her smashing agaisnt the wall that created a sickening crack. How pathetic, Sakura thought as she walked up the stairs, noticing the looks Gaara gave her. As Sakura watched the medic ninjas carry Ino away and stood next to a bewildered Naruto, she noticed to her horror that for a moment there, the beast had taken control of her.

...That was not me Sakura, it was you. You are the Child of Darkness...

Lies, Sakura thought as she leaned agaisnt the wall, collapsing on the ground because of her shaky knees. Naruto immediatly came by her side, and the other teams surronded her, eyeing her curiosly as she trembled. I'm a monster, Sakura thought as she gripped her shirt, causing it to rip slightly. She stayed in that position after three matches, her mind replaying her and Ino's match over and over again. She wanted to scream so bad, to cry in Naruto's arms and to find that one person and tell her deepest, darkest secret-but she was so used to being silent of her feelings, but the Forest of Death had stripped away her pride and her hard exterior, leaving a softer and more fragile version of herself. Sakura watched Naruto's fight, giving him encouragement, laughing and slapping his hand after he had won agaisnt Kiba so nobody could notice the pain in her eyes. Sakura couldn't bear to watch Gaara as he ruthlessly nearly killed Lee, it reminded her of herself and she tucked her head inside her knees, so nobody would notice the tears that ran down her cheeks.

...You are the Child of Darkness, you will fulfill your destiny...

Quick Poll relating to this chapter!

What did Orochimaru say when Sasuke approached Sakura?

1.) If you touch her, I'll pull her heart out and make you swallow it 2.) Touch her, and I'll chop her head off and swallow it whole 3.) If you dare touch her, I'll kill her in front of you

Whoever is the first to review with the answer gets a oneshot fanfiction story of any pairing they like, but no gay or lesbian pairings because I can't bring myself to do that. Then after you've typed in your pairing choice, genre and the setting, I'll surprise you with a really good oneshot story with a surprise plot! Thanks xxx 


	11. Chapter 11

Thanks sooo much for the reviews! So happy xxx

ENJOY!  
...

Sakura stared at the door, her palms sweaty and her heart beating nervously agaisnt her chest as she stood in front of the Hokage's door, ready to beg him to take him as her student. Kakashi had stolen Naruto and Sasuke for some training without a warning, leaving a lonely Sakura in need of a sensei for the final phase of the exams, which was coming in a matter of weeks. Sakura exhaled sharply and raised her hand to knock on the door, and she gently tapped agaisnt the hard wooden surface.

"Come in" a gruff voice said. Sakura gripped her knuckles, this was for her own good and she had a lingering feeling that the Hokage might be the person she was going to reveal her secret to, much to the beast's dismay, who had a certain dislike towards the wise man. Sakura twisted the door knob and entered the room, thankful that it was just her and the Hokage-who looked rather surprised at her rare visit but pleased anyway. He had heard rumours that she had used a rare eye technique, and as he stared at the young girl approach him, he noticed the hesitation in her actions. Sakura closed her eyes, this was for her own good, she needed to train and meditate and she badly needed to tell somebody about her dark secret that even Naruto, her closest friend, didn't know about, and she had grown up with him. Sakura opened her eyes and she fell on her knees, bowing to the floor so low her forehead touched the cold ground.

"Please let me be your student!" Sakura said quickly. The Hokage raised a brow, and he felt sympathy for the girl, realizing that Kakashi had choosen to train Naruto and Sasuke and had obviously neglected the female one, who lay bowing to him. The Hokage rose from his seat and kenlt down in front of Sakura, who raised her head with tears running down her cheeks. The Hokage's eyes widened at her actions and watched patiently as Sakura wiped her tears hastily.

"Kakashi-sensei has chosen to train my male comrades...and he left me..." Sakura trailed off, a far away look on her face. The Hokage sighed at Kakashi's actions and gently patted the girl's head, memories of him finding a young Sakura, abondened under a shady tree surfaced through his mind. Screw the paperwork, he thought as he glanced at the massive stack, somebody else could do it. The Hokage stood up, extending his hand. Sakura smiled at him and took his hand, standing on her two feet and waiting for the Hokage's reply. Instead, he sat back down and Sakura closed her eyes, ready for the decline, and how sorry he was that he did not have-

"I will be honoured to teach you. Come, we must go to the training fields" the Hokage said, smiling kindly. Sakura felt happy tears threatening to fall and she wiped them away, standing up straighter. I'll show Kakashi I didn't need him, I'll show him, Sakura thought determindly as she raised her chin, proud that the Hokage himself was going to train her personally. For a moment, Sakura felt special and she smiled at the foreign feeling as she trailed after the Hokage, who had gotten rid of his robes and was wearing a simple Jounin outfit without the green jacket on. They reached the training fields and they began to train until dusk appeared, making the sky turn pink and golden.

Sakura panted at the harsh excersice and sat under the shady tree, calmly eating her rice ball she made. The Hokage sat cross legged next to her, staring at the beautiful sky that had shade of pink, lavender and gold, creating a beautiful scenary for both of the exhausted people to enjoy. As the secret training countinued, Sakura saw less and less of her teammates and more and more of the Hokage, giving her all with dedication and passion. The day before the chuunin exams, Sakura had woken up at 3:00 am in the morning and was about to return home when she realized it was already late, that she realized this was the perfect time to tell him.

"Hokage-sama! Wait!" Sakura yelled. The Hokage turned around to see a running Sakura, breathless and exhausted from their intense training. He saw her tense as she slowly lifted her gaze to his, her lips trembling as she leaned in to whisper in his ear. The leaves rustled gently as a soft breeze came past, and the moon shone brightly, illuminating Sakura and the Hokage's face, shadowing their cheekbones.

...Tell him and I'll rip your insides...

Sakura gulped and closed her eyes. She opened them again and plastered on a fake grin, trying so hard to look happy and thankful.

"Thank you so much for training me!" Sakura said, and she ran away sobbing. I'm such a coward, Sakura thought as she fell to her bed, crying herself to sleep. That night, she dreamt of herself killing somebody, her sword deep inside the person's heart, laughing insanely, her eyes red and full of passionate need for blood and pain.

That person turned out to be the Hokage.

Sakura woke up, the sheets tangled around her skinny frame as her sweat and tears mingled together. She gasped and stood up, running to the shower to forget the heartache in her chest as the memories surfaced through her mind, replaying it over and over again. I'm a coward, Sakura thought bitterly as she changed into a metal fishnet top, a short red skirt with slits in the side, black shorts and knee high boots. Sakura brushed her hair, staring at her reflection with disgust before placing a heavy axe with a red leather handle on her back. She was not effected by the weight, nor the stares she received as she slowly made her way to the building where the remaning participants were being registered for their appearance, because she was too busy drowning herself in bittersweet self pity and disgust as the beast chanted over her mind, saying cruel things about the kind Hokage who had wasted his time to train her.

...Use my chakra, together we will show the world our true identity...

Fuck off, Sakura thought as she sat down on a cold bench, crossing her legs as she placed her heavy weapon next to her. Sakura ignored the stares from the Shukaku vessel and placed her black gloves on with a cocky smirk. I can defeat all these retards, Sakura thought as she placed a hard metal ring on each finger, before hiding it with her gloves. Beast, I shall use your chakra and use my Yin seal, I don't care anymore, Sakura thought as she brushed away her hair.

...Yes, we shall defeat the poor brute who dare attacks us...

Sakura was happy to see Naruto, and punched him lightly on the shoulder when he gave her weapon a frightened look. Soon, they were ushered inside the massive arena, full of excited people standing up to cheer on the genin. Sakura saw Ino in the ground, giving her a scared look before turning away and Sakura immediatly felt guilty for causing Ino pain, even though she hardly knew the girl. Sasuke's not here, Sakura thought and she realized that they were going to make a grand appearance and smirked, shaking her head. So like Kakashi-sensei, she thought again as she watched the first match with mild interest. Soon, it was Naruto and he walked down the arena, ignoring the hissing and the booing, which made Sakura angry. It's not his fault! Sakura thought, screaming in her head.

"Go on Naruto! Do it for Hinata!" Sakura yelled, making Naruto grin at her and Hinata blush in the crowd. Sakura grinned and swung the heavy axe around her body, watching in delight as Naruto beat up the I-am-so-fucking-awesome stuck up Neji, watching as the Hyuuga's pride being stripped from him harshly, and as Naruto landed a final blow on Neji-the crowd stood up and cheered for him, even the ones that were previously booing at him. Naruto-being the kind of person he is-ran around for his fifteen minutes of fame, air kissing the crowd before punching the sky. He ran to Sakura, grinning widely.

"I did it Sakura-chan!" he yelled triumphantly. Sakura laughed and slapped his back in a sisterly fashion, shaking her head at his antics. The next match was between Shikamaru and Temari, which Sakura watched closely. The Hokage had advised her to watch the kid's match, saying the Nara boy might give her some ideas on how to outsmart her next opponent. Sakura glanced at the Hokage, who was eyeing the match with delight. In the end, Temari had lost and was fuming, standing next to her brother with the facepaint glaring daggers at the amused Nara boy. Sakura politely complimented him, in which he yawned and shrugged. That's a Nara for you, Sakura thought amusingly, and then Sasuke appeared beside her, scaring her nearly half to death.

"Teme! You should've seen me, I beat up Neji!" Naruto yelled. Sasuke's brow lifted and he smirked, noticing Sakura's different appearance and her gigantic axe. Sakura was rather surprised Sasuke didn't make a famous grand entrance, but that's Uchihas for you, always surprising you whether it be the most tiniest or biggest situations.

"Haruno Sakura and Amaya Fujika, step into the arena!" Genma said clearly. Sakura grinned, hearing the dark laughter of the beast and stepped into the middle to confront an Amegakure ninja, with short purple hair and light brown eyes. Sakura took a big step back and her eyes turned a sapphire hue, grinning like the insane person she was.

The match began and vines appeared from the ground, in which Sakura ran up them, suddenly leaping in the air and raising her axe to swiftly cut them, grinning. Her fist connected to the ground and it shook violently, causing a mini-earthquake to rapture from the ground. Sakura rose from the dust, her sapphire eyes turning a shade darker as the vines came from the ground, circling around her. Sakura jumped to the ground, laughing darkly as black chakra formed around her sword.

...Show that bitch what you're made of...

Sakura grinned and lunged in, swiftly cutting the vines that came towards her, often trying to plunge itself inside her chest. Sakura suddenly dissappeared, and her hand shot from the ground dragging the girl so deep inside the ground, nobody could hear her cries. Sakura appeared, and there was silence before vines shot up from the ground, creating a barrier around her. Sakura grinned inside the barrier and gathered up the beast's chakra, and the barrier was ripped apart, revealing a laughing Sakura, dark chakra swirling around her. The people gasped in awe as the black chakra formed wings, and three tiny black dots appeared underneath each eye.

...Beautiful, chop her head and raise it to the sky...

Sakura realized that most of the vines were coming from the back of her neck, and she knew that was her opponent's fragile place. Sakura lunged in, making a clone of herself with a swirling black ball in their hands. The real Sakura vanished, making the fake Sakura ready to chop the girl in half with her axe, when the fake one dissappeared and the real Sakura stood behind Amaya, her kunai plunged deep inside her neck. Amaya gasped and fell on the floor, and Sakura took her kunai and wiped it agaisnt her red skirt, the black wings and the three dots slowly dissappearing. Oh dear, look at the mess I made, Sakura thought in dismay. She quickly did a jutsu, and the rocks rose from the ground, returning back into their places and soon, the place was neat and clean, apart from the broken trees. The arena was quiet as they did a hesitant applause as Sakura swung the axe around her, returning back into the dark wings where she would see the next match. She saw Naruto's face full of fear and Sakura felt disgusted with herself, her knees shaking as she approached the bathroom where she threw up, crying and sobbing. I'm a monster, Sakura thought as she stared at her pale face, clenching her fist so tight blood trickled down her knuckles.

...You are the Child of Darkness, it is expected of you to do such things...

That made Sakura cry even harder. What happened to the Sakura who vowed to choose her own path? What ever happened to her, Sakura thought as she collapsed on the ground. The door opened and Kakashi came in, ignoring the fact that it was the girl's bathroom and he crouched next to the crying Sakura, who covered her face with her hands.

"It's natural to be scared of your first kill" Kakashi whispered. Sakura bitterly laughed, she wanted to say to his face that it wasn't her first kill, and that she was a monster, she was a demon, a killer and a dark person-but seeing the pained expression in his face made her wince.

"I'm becoming a monster, sensei" Sakura whispered, tears running down her cheeks freely.

XXXX

Sakura had managed to calm herself down and went back to watch Sasuke's fight agaisnt Gaara. She flinched everytime Gaara landed a blow on him, and as she saw Gaara's bloodlust increase violently, his sand making a storm, Sakura wondered if she looked like that. I'll do something in return for my horrible actions, Sakura thought as she stared down at her lap. Suddenly, in the corner of her eye, she saw the Kazekage nervously fan himself and her eyes narrowed until they turned a sapphire blue. It's Orochimaru! Sakura thought, suddenly alarmed as she gathered in the new information. Suna's planning an invasion, she thought and gritted her teeth, deciding that if she killed Orochimaru, maybe people won't view her as a monster. Just as Gaara was about to wrap his sand around Sasuke, Sakura ran in inhuman speed and grabbed the collar of the fake Kazekage, throwing him to ground causing his hat to fall off. The Hokage gasped and the fight stopped as Sakura undid the transformation jutsu, and there stood Orochimaru in his full glory.

"Sakura, we meet again" he whispered. Suddenly, Gaara ran away with his siblings, causing Sasuke to chase after him with a strong urge to kill the powerful Shukaku vessel, who was boiling with rage. The arena fell quiet and the people were asleep, war broke out and there Sakura stood, falling on her knees and clutching her head. Kakashi approached her and nudged her shoulder, causing her to scramble on her feet.

"Go wake Naruto and the others" Kakashi ordered and returned to his fight with the mighty Gai, flashing his shiny teeth. Sakura ran over to the sleeping forms of Shikamaru, Naruto and Shino, shaking them awake. With Naruto, she hit him around the head since he did not wake up after she had shaked him awake for the fifth time. Sakura lead them to where Sasuke and Gaara where fighting, trying to explain as best as she could to the constant nagging of the males.

"Suna is invading Konoha with the help of Orochimaru. We need to protect Sasuke from Gaara!" Sakura said as she speed past the trees, ignoring the protests of the other people saying they couldn't keep up. They paused when they saw Temari, holding her fan up in the air, glaring at Shikamaru.

"I can't let you come after them!" Temari yelled. Sakura gritted her teeth in annoyance, if only that girl would not piss her off, because Sakura was in a very bad mood. He saved our lives, I need to protect his now, Sakura thought as she glanced at Shikamaru, who took a step back, his expression exasperated.

"No! I know what your-"

"Shikamaru Nara! Just fight her!" Sakura hollered, losing her patience. The Nara boy sighed, and the remaining three set out to find Sasuke. Sakura's mind was racing, her thoughts strictly on Sasuke only as she sped past the trees in a great hurry, Naruto beside her with a grim expression. They were confronted with Kankuro, which Shino gladly took the offer of fighting agaisnt him. Soon it was just the remaining Team 7, ready to pick up the pieces Sasuke broke on the way. They were just heading to their destination when they saw an enraged Gaara, when Sakura grabbed Naruto's collar and pulled him to a hug. Her arms were shaky as she wrapped it around a confused and blushing Naruto.

"Please don't think I'm a monster" Sakura whispered, tears running down her cheeks. Naruto's eyes widened and memories of himself as a child, being ruthlessly bullied and abused, surfaced his mind and his expression softened as he leaned his forehead agaisnt Sakura, who stared at him with her glassy eyes.

"I would never call you that, now come on! Let's go save Sasuke!" Naruto cried, punching his hands in the air. Sakura's eyes widened as she stared at him slowly made his way into the battlefield, and a huge smiled was plastered on her face. Naruto will save me from the darkness, Sakura thought as she stood by Sasuke, holding his hand as she squeezed it. Sasuke's face became gentle and he gripped it back, vowing to protect both of his teammates whether they liked it or not. As Team 7 held their hands together and lunged towards Gaara, and as Sakura let go of her grip on Sasuke's hand and leaped to the air, her axe rising above her-she didn't feel killing intent anymore, instead she felt happy that she was in the good person's shoes, for once.

Sakura raised her axe and went down to chop his face in half when a sand barrier came in, blocking her from attacking. Gaara stared at her with his jade eyes, gripping her collar with his hands as he dug his hands inside her flesh. Sakura hissed in pain and kicked him in the stomach, allowing him to yelp in pain and release her. Sakura took a step back, her axe suddenly heavy in her skinny arms and her neck throbbing with pain. Naruto came to her side almost immediatly.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Naruto asked, his fingers brushing gently agaisnt the swollen bruise on her neck. Sakura nodded, ignoring the pain and charged, letting out an inhuman cry as she leapt in the air, swinging backwards from Gaara with her axe raised, ready to strike that sand container. Her axe was inches apart from it, but sand encircled her waist and she screamed in pain, the axe slipping from her fingers and falling to the ground. Sakura's arms trembled as she took out a kunai, stabbing it at the sand helplessly, to no avail.

"Let her go!" Sasuke hollered, lunging towards Gaara with inhuman speed, the Cursed Seal already covering half of his body. The sand gripped her tighter and Sakura screamed, closing her eyes in pain as she wriggled in the grasp. Her eyes turned a dark shade of sapphire as she stared at Gaara's eyes, and slowly the sand around her body fell to the ground. Sakura leapt to a branch and started to heal her wounds, ignoring the fact that the beast within her was begging her to use his chakra. But Sakura had to protect her teammates without the black chakra, she had to make sure they were safe without using the demon's chakra. Sakura lunged towards Gaara, her fists filled with her own chakra, her eyes a vicious colour of sapphire as she raised her fist that connected to the ground, causing an earthquake to rapture through the ground, making rocks and dust swirl around the air. Sakura lunged in to attack, she knew Gaara was blind with rage to get his hands on her, so when she rose from the ashes, his sand immediatly shot up and Sakura grinned as she lunged forward, her face inches apart from Gaara's shocked face. But she was caught off guard as she did her jutsu, when the sand slapped her away causing her to fall to the ground with a loud crash.

Her vision was clouded with dust and grit, and she watched with her blurry vision as Naruto and Sasuke charged, only to be tossed aside by the angry Gaara. Sakura slowly got up, ignoring the immense pain and charged with her teammates, raising in the air as her fist connected with Gaara's back, causing him to scream in pain. Sand swirling around her and gripped her ankles, tossed her aside causing her to land on her back. With shaky hands, Sakura got on her knees and raised her chin as she saw the sand coming towards her, in the shape of a sphere. If she would die, she would die honoroubly protecting the village in these horrid moments of war, and as Sakura rose her chin and grinned, she knew she had to face death with a smile. The sphere was so close to her stomach now, and as Sakura closed her eyes, waiting for that pain in her stomach and her collapsing on the ground-but it never came. Sakura opened her eyes and her eyes widened as she saw Naruto in front of her, with Sasuke with front of him, the sand sphere going right through their stomachs. Gaara laughed darkly and took the sand sphere back, causing for Naruto and Sasuke to collapse on the ground in front of her. Sakura was shaking violently now, with rage and anger as her hands placed both of her teammates around her arms, hugging them as they stained her with blood. I was meant to protect you, she thought as she hugged their dying bodies. Sasuke and Naruto meet her gaze, giving her a half-hearted smile, before their heads fell on her lap.

...Use my chakra Sakura, it will heal them...

I don't give two shits anymore, Sakura retorted back as she closed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. Black chakra surronded her as she hugged her teammates, and the chakra crawled towards the wounds of her male comrades, healing them slowly. Sakura closed her eyes, feeling the dark chakra become stronger as it suddenly shot up from her body and connected to the sky, and suddenly, black swirling balls of chakra fell to the ground, striking towards Gaara as it fell in inhuman speed from the sky. The deep scars within her teammates dissappeared, and Gaara collapsed on the floor with exhaustion as one of the last chakra balls fell on him, creating a massive explosion. Naruto blinked, and then his wide cerulean eyes went wide as he touched the wound in his stomach, which had dissappeared without a trace. Sasuke followed, his shocked expression never slipping from his face as he stared down at his stomach, and both males stared at their female teammate, weak and fragile as it was her turn to collapse on the ground, with a relieved smile on her face that she had saved her teammates.

XXXX

Sakura woke up to find herself on a hospital bed, much to her distaste. She hated hospitals, who they stinked with death and everywhere you looked was white, it made her feel light headed and dizy, the feeling she loathed. Sakura saw her teammates beside her, Sasuke on her right and Naruto on her left, still fast asleep with the machine beeping their heart rate in a steady rhythm. She clutched her head and groaned, falling to her bed again as she stared at the ceiling, feeling dizzy and fragile. A nurse came in, gasped as she found Sakura awake and shouted something from the door, and three Jounin medics came in, asking Sakura endless questions on how she felt.

"I'm fine! How about my teammates?" Sakura snapped, losing her temper. The medics exchanged glances at her outburst and one of them wrote down on the clipboard-probably, has bad temper after fights, Sakura thought dryly as she glared daggers at the ceiling. It didn't matter about her, what was important was her teammates, which she strived to protect yet ended getting hurt in the process-and it was all her goddamn fault.

"Uzumaki-san and Uchiha-san are fine, no bruises or anything. They're just sleeping of exhaustion" the medic said, sounding rather bewildered at the state of her teammates. Thanks demon, Sakura thought to herself as she remembered the demon's chakra healing her teammates. But she still didn't trust him, regardless if he saved her comrade's life or not. He was a demon, Sakura didn't make bargains or trusted demons, because they would turn the tables and suddenly, it would be all your fault and you would wonder why you ever trusted him. But Sakura knew one day she would have to trust him, control him and make her chakra mould onto his, but this was the Ten Tailed beast we were talking about, he was stubborn and refused any help. Soon, the medics left and Kakashi visited moments later, his expression grim and sad.

"The Hokage has died" he whispered. Sakura tensed, tears streaming down her face as her mouth opened to speak, but no words came out-except for cries and sobs. Damn you Orochimaru! she thought, gripping the blankets as she shut her eyes, memories of the Hokage came one by one, flickering past her mind. At least I didn't kill him, Sakura thought bitterly as she ran her fingers through her tangled locks. The Hokage had been there when Kakashi wasn't, he was the one who was her sensei, he was the one who did not seem to mind wasting his time to teach a neglected Sakura. Kakashi was rather shocked by expression, wondering if there was some kind of bond between his female student and the Hokage. To Kakashi and Sakura, they didn't know Naruto was listening to every word they had said, and he rose from his bed and clenched his fist.

"Who killed him?" Naruto said in a hoarse voice. Kakashi looked startled, but Sakura didn't even glance at his way, she already knew he was awake, and as she looked the other way, indicating for Kakashi to answer his question. Her sensei gave her a pained look, but Sakura ignored him as she chewed her bottom lip so hard, blood trickled down her jaw line and done her neck. As she heard Kakashi answer his question, there was such an intense silence before Naruto stood up and punched the wall, creating damage agaisnt the wall. Sakura felt her heart ache as she saw Naruto so pained, and she wished she had it worse than him, so she could see his energetic smile and laughter. But Naruto had been raised by the Hokage, his only parent and guardian (also Iruka-sensei) and as Sakura stared at his shaky shoulders, and watched him collapse on the bed, running his fingers through her locks, she stood up and sat next to him, her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

"Remember when we were young...and Hokage used to tell us stories?" Sakura croaked, her forehead touching Naruto's. Tears ran down Naruto's cheek as he wrapped her arms around Sakura's body tightly, memories of the younger and more innocent Sakura an Naruto, giggling and laughing as the Hokage used to tell them silly stories. Those were the moments Naruto felt most complete, with a father figure and his best friend, he felt like it was his only family, and it grew bigger and bigger, allowing Sasuke and Kakashi enter their little family. And it was ripped away from him, and as the vacancy in Naruto's heart grew bigger as he sobbed at Sakura's shoulder. Moments later, Sakura let go of his grasp and brushed the tears from his cheeks, not caring in the world if she was also the one crying. Sasuke woke up, his gaze lingering towards his two teammates, with Sakura on Naruto's bed, her forehead touching his. Sasuke felt a pang of pain as Kakashi told him the death of the Hokage, and he watched Sakura and Naruto-who had been raised by the Hokage, comfort eachother as the minutes passed. Sasuke closed his eyes, and he remembered the day after the massacre, the Hokage had hugged him, telling him how sorry he was. Though Sasuke was sick the fact that everybody gave him fake comfort of hugs and tears, the Hokage's sympathy was real, and it on that day that he meet Sakura and Naruto, both orphans yet loved dearly by the Hokage. He could still remember as he saw Sakura for the first time, though he didn't see him as she played in the sand pit with a grinning Naruto.

How far they had come.

"Sasuke, your awake" Sakura said, walking towards his direction. Sasuke was in no mood to protest as Sakura brushed the bangs from his face and sighed, sitting back in her bed and sighing. It was too much to sink in, the wars, Gaara of the Sand and finally, the biggest blow of them all-the Hokage dying in front of the smiling Orochimaru. Sakura gagged at the memory of Orochimaru's face and she sighed, covering her face with her hands. In a way, it was all their fault-if only they had listened to her when she told them Kabuto, apprentince of Orochimaru was here, maybe the war could never happen, maybe the pain would go away. But they had thought of her as a silly girl, and now they'd come to the realization that she'd been right-always been right. Now some Yamanaka was going to slip inside her mind, collect the information they needed and leave her alone, feeling used. Sakura gripped the bedsheets and shut her eyes, the funeral was taking place tomorrow, she and her teammates were going to be discharged within fifteen minutes and as Sakura stared at the clock, hoping the fifteen minutes would end so she could go under the blankets in her bed and curl up in a ball for the next three years. Because I'm a fucking coward, Sakura thought bitterly, as she stared down at her hands with self disgust.

...You are not a coward, you are a monster...

That was it. Sakura screamed and cried, on the verge to losing her sanity as the Jounins tried to pin her down on her bed, putting metal straps around her ankles and wrists. She screamed and broke it without a second thought, kicking the Jounins so hard they slammed agaisnt the wall and created so much damage and destruction. Sakura screamed again, tears running down her cheeks now as she thrashed wildly in Sasuke and Naruto's embrace, before she went limp and sobbed in their shoulders. Sakura clutched her head and sobbed, breaking the embrace and curling up in a ball in the hospital bed, before the ANBU came and took her away-much to the displeasure of Sasuke and Naruto, who were shouting now. It was a blurr, so much shouts and screams, sweat mingling with blood and tears, her body going limp for tenth time as they punished her, before throwing her outside the torturing building, leaving her broken and empty outside the streets of Konoha. Sasuke and Naruto came immediatly by her side, cursing and throwing so much insults towards the torturing building before they carried a broken Sakura to her apartment, where she begged them to stay longer or else she'll lose her humanity.

"I'm a monster..." Sakura whispered, trailing off. It pained Sasuke to see her in this much pain, he hadn't seen her so fragile ever since the Forest of Death, and he was actually scared at her when she killed her opponent in the final stage of the Chuunin exams. It was not Sakura he saw fight the opponent, it was somebody else, somebody else taking control of her body and soul and he was so frightened for a second, that the Sakura Haruno he and Naruto knew was long gone. But she had returned when fighting Gaara, and had saved his and Naruto's lives by healing them, causing that scar in Sasuke's stomach to dissappear completely.

"Your not a monster" Naruto said kindly, brushing the sweat from Sakura's forehead. Sakura shivered agaisnt his touch and clutched the bed sheets, her head throbbing with pain as a massive headache came crashing into her mind. Sasuke entwined his fingers with hers, and Sakura remembered that moment in the Forest of Death, where she woke up sore to find her hands holding Sasuke's, and she had been so scared that both of her teammates were dead, and she did nothing but be useless and be the bait. Sakura shut her eyes tightly, tears running down her cheeks and she wiped them away hastily as she stood up, opening the window to let cool, damp air come in. She was still wearing her hospital robes, with Naruto's orange jacket around her shoulders, a warm gesture that did not do anything to erase the cold inside her veins but she thanked him nonetheless.

Sakura exhaled the warm air and sighed, feeling light headed as she took off the orange jacket and tossed it back to Naruto. She needed to sew herself, she needed to collect the broken pieces of her life and make a fresh new start. She had longed for a family, for love, for that vacancy in her heart to dissappear, and now she had something worth fighting for-Team 7. It was her only family, and every member of her family was broken, all orphans including Kakashi. Naruto, the Kyuubi vessel, herself another vessel with no past, Sasuke with his massacred family and thirst for revenge and Kakashi, who had plunged his own chidori into his own female comrade.

One heck of a fucking family, if you ask Sakura.

And now, she wanted nothing more than to protect them. She had something worth fighting for, worth dying for and there was no way in hell were Sasuke and Naruto were going to die in front of her eyes again. They had been so close to enter the gates of the second life, but she had grasped them at the last minute and bought them back to life. Sakura turned around and hugged her teammates, much to their surprisement.

"Thanks for protecting me" Sakura murmured, loud enough so they were the only ones to hear. Sasuke's eyes widened, and slowly yet hesitantly he placed his arms around her and clutched her shirt. Sasuke and Naruto vowed to eachother they'd keep an eye at Sakura, and it pained both of them to see her so empty, so lifeless as if she was a puppet, and that somebody else was pulling the strings. Sakura was so delicate if used roughly, yet so strong when she fought as if she had an incredible amount of endless chakra. That's why the Jounins and the medics found it fascinating, observing her every move as if she was something to be mended carefully with.

It made Sasuke and Naruto disgusted by their antics.

But the true reason why Sakura was so quiet, so lifeless and allowed herself to be tossed around was the deep heart ache that burned her stomach and soul. She knew, by the seemingly sorry looks Sasuke sent her way that he was leaving. It had pained her, she finally had a family and one of them was going to slip through her fingers at night, where the moon truly shone in all it's glory. For once, there was silence in Sakura's head as she sat down on the bench, closing her eyes as she savoured each moment that Sasuke was still in this village.

Until a dark shadow appeared.

Quick poll relating to this chapter!

What episode and season did Orochimaru fight the Hokage?

Naruto Season 3: Episode 71, 72, 73 Naruto Season 3: Episode 27, 28, 29 Naruto Season 1: Episode 3, 4, 5

The prize will be that somebody can have a oneshot fanfiction story of any pairing. No lesbian or gay pairings please. 


	12. Chapter 12

New Chapter! This one includes the part when Sasuke leaves the village *cries* sad moment for me, I cried my eyes out because of that!  
When I watched this episode just to give me some sort of direction on how to make the chapter I was a little frustrated that Sakura knew that she had a feeling that Sasuke was going to leave, she might've told the Hokage or Naruto at least! How annoying, sometimes I cry to the heavens at her personality.

Oh well.

At least in this fanfiction I can control on how she behaves, and I like it! Hope you enjoy this by the way, might suck but I do try my best to make this story as good as possible, even though there are exams coming up and I should really be revising (I'll ace it! Always do, LOL!)  
Been watching the 'Notebook' just to get me in the mood to write this depressing scene while smoking. I don't smoke that much, but I do when I want to concentrate or TRY to look like those glamourous women like Audrey Hepburn who smoke 24/7. My mother's a nurse, so she scolds me whenever she sees me smoking. The thing is she doesn't know that I do care about my lungs! Only smoking for a rather selfish reason!

Okay, I'm going to stop babbling now, you're probably impatient to read the story and you've probably skipped this already, I won't blame you-  
I always skip the Author's Note! Hypocrite me! At least I'm honest xxx

ENJOY!

* * *

Sakura hated the feeling of helplessness.

She hated the fact that the only thing she could do was stand by and watch-the feeling had surged through her bones when her comrades were lingering from life and death, and it had scared her so much the fact that she couldn't do anything at all. Yes, she did heal them but that was the demon's work, not hers and she hated every second though she thanked the beast for bringing her teammates alive.

But it was moments like these, this moment right now that she felt scared and helpless and hurt. Emotions were always a hard thing to cover up for her, even though she trained herself never to show your emotions-she couldn't help but feel so hurt that after the blood, sweat and tears Team 7 shared, one of them was tossing all those memories aside after everything that happened.

Damn Sasuke's revenge.

Sakura wanted to tell Naruto, but her mouth had been shut and she couldn't help but think it was her duty alone to beg Sasuke to not leave the village. How selfish of her, she thought bitterly as the breeze came whistling by, making the leaves rustle softly as Sakura rose her chin up and stood up, her eyes meeting with Sasuke's back. He had grown up so much, she thought fondly remembering their first mission, where she had witnessed Sasuke get hurt so badly she felt the beast's chakra stirr inside her stomach.

There was a silence, as if somebody was going to say something but hesitated, wondering if they should say it or not. Sakura gave out a shaky sigh and ran her fingers through her hair, blinking back the tears that were threatening to fall. She wished she could have the courage like Naruto always had intact, to stop Sasuke and beat some sense into him-but she couldn't, because her feet were glued to the ground as she softly touched Sasuke's back, making him tense.

"Why?" Sakura asked quietly, afraid what was his answer. Sasuke spun around and grabbed both of her wrists, pressing his forehead so hard agaisnt hers she thought she was going to have a headache. They stared at eachother's eyes, not breaking their eye contact as a silence fell on them-intense and thick. Tears were streaming down her cheeks now, and Sakura didn't move to wipe them away-she felt so hurt and angry at the same time, emotions tangled inside her as memories flickered past her mind.

Sasuke closed his eyes for a breif moment, feeling the cool breeze run up his spine and he opened them again, staring at Sakura's emerald eyes before gripping her wrists tighter. It was hard to leave the village, he had a small family here with the loud Naruto, a cheerful Kakashi and a gentle Sakura, who he had fought for his life to protect her. But if his brother would ever find out his one true weakness, he would hunt Sakura and Naruto down, killing them in front of him ruthlessly before striking to kill him. That will never happen, Sasuke thought angrily as he stared at Sakura, I'll always protect you. He wanted to say all of this to her, but his mouth couldn't open.

"I'll kill him...and-and I'll come back, I promise" Sasuke said softly, thinking how pathetic it was to see him so gentle and kind in front of the person he adored. Sakura wrapped her arms around him for a tight embrace, and as the breeze whistled past and memories flickered through both of their minds so quickly, Sasuke wrapped his arms around her body, his arms trembling as they gripped Sakura shirt. Sakura broke the embrace, tears running down her cheeks as she pressed her forehead agaisnt his, her voice wobbly and quiet.

"Promise you'll come back...promise?" Sakura whispered, her voice fragile. Sasuke's heart twisted, he was never coming back to this village but maybe-  
just maybe, he could sneak in every two years just to see her face and her progress. It hurt to lie in front of a broken Sakura, and guilt flared in his stomach like a strong fire. Sasuke's fingers entwined with hers, and he remembered seeing a passed-out Sakura in the Forest of Death, saying in his last breath before collapsing that he'd always protect her no matter what.

Sakura squeezed his hands and gave him a sad smile, and as she watched Sasuke's fingers slipped away from hers and walk slowly away at the night,  
the moon's rays illuminating both of their pained, heart broken faces. Sakura's knees trembled and she fell on the bench, covering her sobs with a shaky hand as she closed her eyes, replaying the moments that Team 7 shared.

Their blood, sweat and tears. Their effort, their passionate dedication to never let their team down was all tossed aside as one of them leaves, the memories slowly dying out like a dying flame, only leaving a trail of melted candle wax on the floor with broken pieces of ash. Sakura felt two fingers press on the cluster of nerves, and she passed out on the stone bench while a figure stared at her in the shadows, before dissappearing.

The figure smiled, his golden eyes shining.

* * *

Her eyes opened and she blinked, yawning as she wiped the tears away. Sakura tensed as she saw her surrondings, and the memories of Sasuke leaving rushed into her and she fell on her knees, her body shaking and tears cascading down her cheeks. I didn't tell him to come back, I encouraged him by making a promise he'll never commit! Sakura thought angrily. The sadness died down and was replaced by anger and frustration, she was so weak! Making Sasuke run away like that and all she ever did was stand there, crying and begging him to come back when she knew he was never coming back.

Sakura screamed, releasing her passionate anger with the ear-piercing sound.

She eventually collapsed on the ground, exhausted and hungry but her thoughts were on Sasuke as pain surged through her bones, and she gasped clutching her stomach as she weakly tried desperately to keep her weak eyes open. But as she felt her vision fade away slowly, Sakura fell down on the rough ground with a soft thud, her hair sprawled around her head like a broken halo.

* * *

Sakura found herself laying on the floor, her eyes staring at the red moon dripping with red blood. She closed her eyes and felt the black, wispy smoke circle her and she sat up, digging her knees to her chest as she buried her face, feeling tears stream down her face. She hated showing her weakness in front of the demon she loathed, but he had saved her teammates nonetheless and she thankful for that but she couldn't help but feel hatred towards the beast that gave her so much pain, nightmares and gave her a strong intention to kill.

Sakura shuddered at the fight in the final phase of the chuunin exams, and she wished she never killed the poor girl. Self-disgust washed through her, and she sobbed in the palm of her hands. After the fight with Gaara, she ran straight home to take a shower, scrubbing her rough skin so hard the skin peeled off, and left blood trickling down her body which made her throw up. The black tails extended and wrapped around her ankle, flipping her upside down as it bought her closer to the beast. Sakura was in no mood to talk to him, all she wanted to do was curl up in a ball inside her bed and stay there for the next 7 years or so.

"Weak, fragile little flower. No wonder they call you Sakura" the beast growled as the grip around her ankles tightened, making her gasp at the pain. She could care less if the beast's pride was ruined, all she wanted to do was run as fast as she can to Naruto, tell him Sasuke was missing and tell the new Hokage-Tsunade-  
to plan a retrievel team. Unfortunetly, the beast had other plans to physically and mentally torture her, and it looked like he was looking forward for his revenge.

The demon tossed her up in the air before catching her before she fell to the floor, where her skull would probably crack and she'd be brought back to the real world, where the pain would be much worse. Thank god you have the best healer in the village, Sakura thought as she eyed the demon's crimson eye, the ten black dots swirling. His eyes were like glass, you could see yourself within them, your emotions and your history but you could never see the demon, for his eyes were always a crimson red. Sakura knew the beast had incredibly strong eye techniques such as the Rinnengan and the Mangekyou Sharingan-which never failed to scare her for the only thing she knew about those eye techniques that if you just give one tiny glance, you would fall deep in the abyss of the true meaning of pain that left you scarred and dead.

But it amazed her that the beast did not have her sapphire hue eye technique, and he would be openly curious about it, asking her questions and asking her-more like commanding actually-to use it as a demonstration. Of course, her eye technique was useless to powerful beings such as the demon, but maybe in the future when she would be strong enough, she could use it as a threat to absorb important intel about the opponent.

"You disgust me. I want a vessel who is strong, not a weak and pathetic girl like you" the demon snarled. Sakura felt anger burn in her stomach and she screamed, thrashing in his grip violently. The beast growled darkly at her antics and dropped her, making her land on her two feet smoothly as she stared at the demon with passionate disgust and anger. Sakura's eyes turned a shade darker of sapphire blue, and the demon immediatly tensed for he never knew what kind of power the eye technique held. Sakura wanted to try out the dangerous side of her eye technique, she was so sick of letting the demon take over her.

Slowly, the beast struggled to stand up and fell on the floor, creating a large small explosion beneath his stomach as he growled and his tails thrashed out between the bars, wrapping it around Sakura who screamed, frustrated tears running down her cheeks as she violently moved agaisnt his tight grasp. The beast chuckled,  
sounding impressed and Sakura stopped, meeting her gaze with the demon to discover his eye had turned a darker shade of lilac with four black lines circling the tiny black dot in the middle.

"You've had your share of showing your curious eye technique. Now stare at mine!" the beast growled, bringing her closer to his eyes. Sakura was trembling, tears running down her face as she stared at the eye, never breaking her intense gaze with the pinacle of nightmares himself. Images of ruthless wars, drying people and blood flickered through her mind as the grip tightened around her, making her struggle for breath.

"I will cleanse this world we live in. Children fight in wars whilst the leaders flee to hide" he said, before abruptly dropping her to the ground. Sakura groaned with pain, but anger surged through her bones. Disgusting, she thought as she stood up with shaky knees, staring at his lilac eyes unflinching.

"You have no right to say things like that when you start the wars!" Sakura roared, her voice echoing in the vast and dark chambers of the sanctuary. The beast roared with laughter, his voice laced with mockery and disgust at her pathetic announcement. Sakura's courage withered, but she clenched her fist and imagined Naruto beside her, backing her up with his insults. The demon's tails wrapped around her ankles, tossing her upside down and bringing her closer, his cold breath fanning her entire body.

"What makes you think you can insult me?!" he shouted, the sanctuary shaking and trembling as if the voice was a strong force of a punch. Sakura didn't flinch and she clenched her jaw, determined to be brave. I will be strong, she thought determindly as the tails slowly tossed her up in the air, before catching her and realizing that she straight now, her hair in a messy heap on her head. Sakura rose her chin and slipped swiftly from the grasp and stood on the tails, her eyes flaring with determination and anger.

"Because I'll control you and you will obey me. I shall not follow your disgusting idea of me being the Child of Darkness! I will have my own destiny planned out!" Sakura shouted with authority and control laced in her voice. For once, the beast did not speak but instead, eyed her carefully before slowly dropping her to the ground, whispering soft words before Sakura dissappeared, leaving black smoke.

* * *

Sakura stared at the white ceiling, before grasping the thin white blanket and swinging her legs to the side, ignoring the pain in her legs. By now they've probably realised his gone, she thought bitterly as she changed back into her red shirt and blue pants. The window was open, making a huge gust of chilly air come whistling by and Sakura shivered, closing her eyes as she remembered Sasuke's fingers around hers, before she opened her eyes again to find tears falling down her cheeks freely. Sakura wiped them away hastily as she escaped from the window, running through the busy, bustling crowd of Konoha to head for the Hokage tower. Unfortunetly for her, the hospital was a good thirty minute run to the Hokage tower, and Sakura was in no mood to use her chakra to increase her speed-she was weak, vulnerable and pathetic.

Her hair was in a messy heap on her head, and it blew past her face as she ran, feeling the wind run through her locks. Sakura wondered what the new Hokage would react about the terrible news that one of the most potential boys with a strong eye technique would run away. Her first taste of how broken Konoha really is, Sakura thought bitterly as she sped past alleyways. She paused and panted, finding that she had no use to run up those agonizingly long stairs and walked up, gripping the steel handrail for support. Sakura felt a stare burn through her back, and she turned around sharply to look at none other than Neji Hyuuga himself, and scowled at his pitiful stare as he watched her climb on the stairs. Neji rose a brow, his face expressionless and dull as ever as he eyed her with his intimidating white, glassy eyes before approaching her.

"You seem to have great difficulty climbing stairs, Haruno-san" he noted, a hint of humour in his voice. Sakura was on the verge of crying her eyes out now, Sasuke had dissappeared and all the boy could ever do was insult her when she already felt self-disgust on why she never even stopped Sasuke. Her scowl was replaced by a blank stare, and she straightened herself before teleporting herself and appearing at the top of the stairs, her eyes never leaving the shocked Neji. Slowly, he smirked and ran up, standing next to Sakura as she slowly walked towards the Hokage's office.

"Never knew you could do that, Haruno-san. Very surprising, like the battle you gave to that girl in the chuunin exams" Neji said. Sakura immediatly tensed and memories of a black-and-blue Ino and a dead Amaye laying on a pool of her own blood came rushing in, and she lifted a shaky hand to run through her hair. Neji was curious, why of all people would Sakura even want to go report to the Hokage? Probably wanting a mission, he thought quickly as he noted there were never enough missions being handed out. As she stopped in front of the Hokage's door, her hand raised up to knock on the wooden surface, Sakura remembered the first time she knocked on this door and begged the Third Hokage to take her as his student, and with bitter dissapointment realized that a women would be standing in his position, for the Third Hokage was dead now, laying peacefully in his grave. Sakura didn't hesitate to open the door, but before she could fully enter herself, she glanced at Neji.

"You talk too much. You must have realized you were the only one talking in our petty conversation" she said coldly, a blank expression settled on her face. Sakura closed the door softly behind her, leaving a shocked Neji to stand. He smirked and shook his head, walking down the corridor before exiting, his thoughts on the strange pink-haired girl he had a conversation with. The first time somebody ever said my line, Neji thought as he entered the familiar training grounds, greeted by a smiling TenTen and a happy Gai. Neji noted the sadness in Gai's face, and memories of the battle Lee and Gaara had faced eachother came rushing in, and he felt pity for the poor sensei who obviously had a bond with Lee.

* * *

Tsunade was not the type of person who should be the Hokage, Sakura thought angrily as she stared at the women with unimpressed eyes.

Here she was, sprawled across her seat with a sake bottle in her delicate fingers, a pig running around with files strapped to his back and an angry assistant who looked murderuous. The woman looked like she took the job lightly, and it made Sakura angry that the Hokage name was to be given to a drunk lady who couldn't even sit up properly. Sakura knew who Tsunade was, she was the three great Sannin along with Jiraiya and Orochimaru and was the best medic ninja out there. Broken bones? Easy, she could fix it in a flash without breaking a sweat, probably because of the Yin seal on her forehead or her experience.

Sakura was dissapointed. Sure, she might be a great Sannin but Tsunade wasn't even working, for god's sake! She took in her apperance, noting that she had flushed cheeks, parted lips and her fingers slipping from the neck of the sake bottle. Just as Sakura suspected, it fell from her fingers but the assistant was quick, probably anticipating that it was going to happen anyways. Sakura waited for a few moments for the new Hokage to collect herself, before she began to speak.

"Hokage-sama, I have something import-"

"Tsunade! Call me...Tsunade!" the drunken Hokage slurred, her eyes dropping gradually as her left cheek slowly touched the desk, looking as if she was going to fall asleep any minute now. Sakura was on the verge of losing her sanity, here she was about to say one of her best friends and the most potentiol ninjas in Konoha with a rare eye technique had escaped, and the new Hokage was on the verge of sleeping! But she couldn't blame her, Sakura thought bitterly as she clenched her jaw, this was her fault from the beginning of believing Sasuke would actually return. But she had wanted to hope, she wanted to hope so badly that he might come back, and she could punch his head and cry on his shoulder.

Unknown to her, tears started to spill from Sakura's eyes and she hastily wiped them away. Too late, the Hokage who had a weak spot for crying girls, had meet her gaze and stared at her worriedly, acting as if she was never drunk a second ago. She sighed, rubbing her temple and Sakura watched as the Yin seal glittered agaisnt the harsh glare of the sun, that came slipping in between the curtains and created stretched shadows of four figures (including the pig, who was laying in the far corner with files scattered around her) Sakura exhaled sharply,  
and a breif image of Sasuke's fingers entwined with hers at the Forest of Death when she woke came flickering past her mind, and her heart twisted.

"Sasuke escaped...I went round his house to ask if he knew where Naruto was...but" Sakura chewed her bottom lip, feeling a hot rush of tears come down her cheeks. She hated lying and crying at the same time, it just showed how much of a coward she was of telling the truth and keeping her emotions bottled up. Tsunade tensed and groaned with annoyance, her fist connecting with the desk causing it to tremble beneath her fist, and eventually collapse on the ground. The assistant sighed, pouring some herbal tea for the stressed Hokage as she leaned agaisnt the seat, her hat perched on her head hiding her facial expression.

The door slammed open and in came a worried Naruto and a serious Kakashi came sauntering in. Sakura tensed and looked away, wiping her tears away quickly and shading her eyes with her choppy bangs. Tsunade looked grim and glanced worriedly at Sakura, whose head tilted to the side and her eyes dazed and sad. Naruto grinned at the new Hokage, his arms crossed in his chest as he wore a annoyed expression.

"Wheres Sasuke? Me and Kakashi were going to train!" Naruto yelled. Sakura frowned deeply, she didn't know that her team was making secret trainings without her. That's not fair! she thought frustrated, gripping her shirt tightly as she looked away, looking dissapointed and angry. First Sasuke and now this? she thought as she moved to the door, her shaky hand on the door knob as she twisted it silently, opening the door and slamming it shut behind her, before breaking down and collapsing on the ground in a messy heap. Sakura felt a hot rush of tears come down as she pressed her ears to the door. She had to exit the room, because she knew she was going to break into hysterical sobs and have a mental breakdown, but at the same time she had to hear what they had to say, even though she knew what Tsunade's reply was.

"Uchiha Sasuke has escaped. I need a retrival team to go collect him!" Tsuande cried, her voice sharp like a knife as it cut through the air. Sakura bolted through the corridors and headed home, placing weapons and changing to a metal fishnet shirt and black shorts, before running to the exit of Konoha, ready to track down Sasuke before anybody else. To Sakura, it was important that she had to talk to Sasuke, she had to be the one to bring him back to prove to herself that she would never be the crying, sobbing Sakura who had passed out when Sasuke left, and made a promise that could never happen.

The curtains had been opened, and she snatched the main part as the heroine. Sakura had to do this, to prove to everybody she wasn't the monster they saw in the chuunin exams, she had to be the heroine. Not Naruto or some other chuunin that hardly knew Sasuke but her, because believe it or not-she had a slightly bigger chance of dragging Sasuke back inside the safe gates of Konoha-and maybe he could learn to forgive her and to know how stupid it was of him to runaway like that and to leave a confused Naruto and a hurt Sakura.

Sakura sped through the trees, her arms trembling with fear and determination as she paused for a second, looking around her with narrowed eyes. It was strangely quiet, not even a rustle of leaves or the cries of insects-or even the wind passing by. Sakura hesitated, before taking her headband off and placing it inside her chest bindings, before speeding past the shady trees. Sakura loved running, she loved the feel of the wind passing by her, the way everything seemed to be a blurr and the fact that she felt so free, as if she was a bird being released from a golden cage. But at this silent moments, she couldn't enjoy running like she used to, since her mind and thoughts were on Sasuke alone. Why did you have to leave, Sakura thought desperately as she clawed on her shoulder, the flesh breaking as she briskly healed it without a sweat.

Taking her anger on her own flesh, nothing new there.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Sakura screamed as she saw the wound open up again. Healing was never a strong thing for her, and losing her temper and breaking down was so not like Sakura but these past few days had been pain for her, and she couldn't help but have mental breakdowns every five seconds when somebody said Sasuke's name. That feeling when your heart twists, and memories flickered past your brain while tangled emotions grew bigger and bigger inside her stomach-it was a feeling Sakura hated, since she felt so helpless agaisnt it. I can't bring back Sasuke, face it Sakura! Your weak and pathetic, she thought as she clenched her fist, falling to her knees as she covered her face with her palms. No, no, no! Sakura thought as she wiped the tears away, chin in the air as her hair flew in the air. I must drag Sasuke back and control the demon, she thought with new determination as she speed past the trees.

Nothing could stop her, for if she truly wanted to master the art of controlling the ghastly beast within her, she had to prove herself first.

...Catch your precious Sasuke-kun, as if that'll make you control me...

Sakura did not wither against the harsh tone of the beast, deciding to ignore it was the best thing to do. Besides, when she would arrive at battle the demon would beg on his knees, pleading her to use his chakra.

* * *

I decided not to do the polls...nobody seems to be answering! *cries* anyways, hope you enjoy!  
LOL! I'm such a crybaby, maybe that explains why Sakura seems to have breakdowns every two sentences etc..but I PROMISE!

In the next chapter she will kick ass, and this is an oath cuz in the next chapter, Sakura realizes that she needs to be strong not only for herself, but for her teammates.

This is a long chapter, so I hope you were satisfied with the chapter! You might notice that I call the Ten Tails a beast because if I said:

...The Ten Tails's voice was echoeing in her mind...

Well, that doesn't really make the Ten Tails seem intimidating, it's kind off like calling the Nine Tails the Kyuubi! See what I mean? Good. I just wanted to clear that up.

Wednesday Addams forever! Whoop, whoop!


	13. Chapter 13

Remember my promise to make Sakura totally kick ass? Well! Here it is people, extra long chapter for your satisfaction. Beast by Nico Vega is soooo SCARY in a good way, and I hope you get to listen to it while you try to imagine Sakura kicking ass which is going to be totally descriptive and pure awesome.

Wednesday Addams, give me a hug you no-smiling-girl-cuz-it's-my-policy bitch! I love you forever!

ENJOY! Thanks for the reviews, good motivation people! Makes me so happy people can have the time to review my stories rather than skipping it xxx

I do not own Naruto, yet I wish I did! I'd be a genius for creating Naruto xxx (forgot to mention this on the other twelve chapters, so sorry!)  
...

Death. War. Blood.

Those words sent a shiver up Sakura's spine, as they seemed to describe the demon within her too well. He gave her no peace day and night,  
would send her the worst of nightmares, disgusting images of dying, rotting bodies and the desperate pleas of innocent victims, which seemed to echo in her mind. But he never tried to hide his weakness, which was begging her to use his chakra, which Sakura ignored much to his horror.  
She knew one day she would be strong to control him, she just wished the moment would arrive now as she felt the demon's chakra stirr inside her stomach as Sakura headed closer and closer to her target, masking her chakra in a kage-level that even the most sensitive people could hardly tell she was there, as if she was dead.

Sakura wished she was, sometimes.

Her eyes turned a sapphire hue, and she paused, looking around sharply. Within five miles, some sort of Konoha retrivel group is coming, she thought, but Sakura froze when she saw Naruto, running with a fixed determination in his eyes. I have to get there first, I have to prove myself!  
Sakura thought as she ran past the trees in an inhuman speed, her eyes narrowed as she sharply glanced at anything suspicous. She knew she had an advantage of getting to Sasuke earlier, partly because the opponents will come on the retrivel first but mostly because she had a chance, even though it could be for one second, to see Sasuke.

Sakura admitted she missed Sasuke, she always felt lonely when he wasn't there yet when he was, he seemed like a shadow. Sasuke could give you the impression he was mean, cold and unapproachable, but Sakura saw the weak child in his eyes, and wanted to protect him with all her being.  
Naruto was the kindest, loudest and funniest person she had ever meet, when he was there-Sakura could already see him, tall and mature (hopefully) with an army behind him, and her and Sasuke on each side, smiling. She loved her teammates, they were her own family, all of them had broken pasts, and even some didn't want to admit it-all three of them needed comfort.

She knew about Uchiha Itachi, the object of Sasuke's revenge and hatred and knew some important intel of him. She had once viewed him as being bloodthirsty, but as Sakura read the scrolls and dug deeper into the mystery, she realized he was a tragic hero with a sad fate. He was ordered by the Elders to kill the Uchiha Clan, since they were planning to overthrow Konoha and had killed them, one by one. But not Sasuke, since he could not find himself to kill him, and had told him to be stronger, so strong that he could kill his big brother he once looked up to as an amazing ninja. Itachi had told Sasuke to kill him because he wanted his younger brother to be a hero, and him to be the villain. Sakura never meet Itachi, but she felt as if she had to make Sasuke play the part, and she wanted him to go back to Konoha and train there to be stronger, not with Orochimaru.

At the thought of the snake Sannin, Sakura shuddered and then fear spreaded across her chest like wildfire. Would Orochimaru be there? Was Sasuke even alone? Sakura shook her head and clenched her fist, forcing herself to be strong. Who cares if Orochimaru was there and a whole army full of snakes?  
She would fight to her death to drag Sasuke back to Konoha, and would be viewed as a strong heroine, not a ghastly monster. Sakura wished Sasuke would come back, saying he was such a stupid idiot and Naruto would hit him around the head, and Sakura would merely cry with happiness.

But she knew, even if she did bring back Sasuke-it was never going to happen.

Don't get your hopes up, silly child Sakura thought, scolding herself. She suddenly paused and tensed, swirling a kunai in her fingers before narrowing her eyes and gritted her teeth. She had hoped for the first three hours of her formation plan to retrieve Sasuke would not have any fights in it, because she did not want to drain any chakra.

"Get out of your hiding place!" Sakura commanded, her voice strong and stable. No sign of emotion was evident in her face, she'd save that later when she'd drag Sasuke back. The scent of dried blood and mud filled her senses, and she flinched at the disgusting smell before scowling, and flinging her kunai at the three trunk. Strong hands wrapped around her wrist and sent her on her knees, her face dug inside the mud and a man hovering on top of her, blank and cold. Sakura growled viciously and spun around, punching the man with her fist creating a satisfying crack before leaping a couple of steps back to have a proper look at her enemy. Her eyes turned a swirling blue and she groaned with annoyance-great, she was going to fight with a man who had a strong kekkai genkai, using none of her demon's chakra and mud on her hair? Wow, why not add another person who has some sort of rare kekkai genkai.

Kimimaro stood in front of her, shining in his ruthless glory before he lunged in to attack her. But what he didn't know was that Sakura was fast, too fast that she fitted right in with the wind-silent and quick. Sakura couldn't be bothered to conceal her Yin seal anymore, and it shimmered agaisnt the harsh glare of the sun as she sped past trees, everything a blur around her as she desperately tried to escape. Sasuke could've told me he had some people with him, Sakura thought as she felt a hand grab her hair and yank her up, making her jerk violently and kick. Kimimaro's eyes never left the Yin seal on her forehead, and he leaned in to touch it when Sakura quickly punched him in the stomach, sending him hurtling towards the tree which fell backwards because of the sudden collision. Sakura ran away quickly, breathless as she hastily wiped the mud from her hair to no avail, running quickly with narrowed eyes. I have to be careful, she thought as she glanced at her surrondings, chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully.

Sakura, I hope your okay, Naruto thought with saddened eyes as he glanced at his team-or rather, the remaining people of his team. So many fights, so many bittersweet memories of his retrivel team dying around him had left Naruto grim and bitter, wanting to drag Sasuke back by his hair and beat the sense into him. He had realized, in a matter of six seconds that his best friend was already out to save Sasuke's ass, and he was worried sick and was trembling with fear as he sped past the trees in a hurry. He would find her and save Sasuke, Naruto thought determindly as he glanced around at his surrondings, checking if there was anything Sakura left behind. But the pink-haired girl always seemed to hide herself too well, and he was sometimes afraid that she'd vanish without a trace, as if the Haruno Sakura he knew never even existed, and was only a comfort in his mind.

But he shook off the silly thought-he knew Sakura wasn't a pretend, and she was alive and well and he just wanted to see that, to see his best friend safe and in front of him in one piece. He was so scared seeing her half dead body in the Forest of Death, where all there weaknesses had shown and their old, ugly scars fresh and open. Naruto gritted his teeth and increased his fast pace, his eyes determined to find his best friend and to kill anybody who dared hurt her. She had been there for him when he was most alone, hated and despised and now it was his turn, to give her the comfort she needed. Always bottling up your emotions,  
Sakura-chan, Naruto thought as he remembered the pain Sakura and him went through, but she never cried-and when she did, Sakura always cried in her house, and the next day she'd be as blank and uneffected as ever.

Yet, Naruto saw the fragile, helpless and weak Sakura in her eyes and knew that she was trying to hide herself, to push herself to the limit just to protect himself and Sasuke, and to forget about her emotions so much-she didn't even feel them. It scared him, because he wanted Sakura to feel like a human, not to be an empty puppet, whoose strings were silently snapping with each twist or turn and himself being the puppetter for Sasuke and Sakura, trying to make them feel and trying with all his might, just to see a smile on their faces.

Naruto was desperate. Desperate to save his family that was slowly slipping away from his fingers, and he wanted to grasp them quickly before they'd eventually fall.

Neji's eyes were worn out and tired, yet he showed no sign of weakness-you know, Hyuuga pride and all. His curiosity had grown when he heard Naruto's theory of Sakura possibly running ahead of them trying to drag back Sasuke, and he remembered with a smirk on his features their first encounter. But Neji had realized,  
from Naruto's soft words that echoed with history of Team 7 that Sakura had a weak spot for her teammates, and would push herself on the verge of losing her sanity if that meant Naruto and Sasuke would be safe.

That feeling of being protected was foreign to Neji. He was always the one to protect his teammates, and he wondered if Sakura was like that as well. But he quickly brushed off the thoughts when his memories surfaced, and he remembered Gai-sensei talking to him in a hushed voice that Naruto and Sasuke had taken the blow and had nearly died, just to protect Sakura who healed her. Neji was impressed by her speed and power, but was disturbed at her performance in the final phase of the chuunin exams, where she had brutally killed her opponent with a smirk. Yet the Sakura Naruto knew was different, she was over-protective and kind Sakura, the other half of the pink-haired ninja Neji had yet to meet.

Neji stared at the worried expression on Naruto's face and wondered what the history of Team 7 was. When Naruto spoke of his teammates, his voice was soft and gentle, filled with memories and history behind the team and their true selves. It intrigued him, especially Sakura who was the object of Naruto's affections, yet the girl hardly knew about it, since she was so busy training and being sent out missions.

Suddenly, Naruto paused and Neji's thoughts of Sakura faded away quickly as he surveyed the area. A broken tree, shattered ground and drops of blood on the ground-  
yup, Sakura was most definetely here. Naruto's eyes widened when he stared at the blood, but he reassured himself it was the poor fool's blood who dared lay a finger on his best friend. Neji eyed the fallen tree and leapt to it's side, noting a slight trail of blood and mud mingling together at the side and narrowed his eyes, turned sharply around only to meet another ninja with the palest green eyes, a few shades lighter than Sakura's.

The mysterious man held Neji to the throat, and he gasped for air, feeling his chakra drain away slowly. He was in no state to fight, he had just fought another man and his Byakugan slowly melt away, revealing his white eyes. Naruto hollered and lunged forward, kunai in a tight grip and stabbed the enemy, who flung Neji aside and quickly dodged Naruto's next attack, clutching the bruise behind him. Neji panted and tried to sit up, the rough tree trunk feeling dry as it scraped across his back. He had to get Naruto out of here, he had the better advantage of dragging Sasuke back home and finding Sakura, Neji thought as he yelled.

"Naruto! Get out of here!" He yelled in a raspy, hoarse voice feeling weak. Naruto's eyes widened as he dodged another attack and he clenched his right fist, looking alarmed as he saw Neji's weak state. Naruto couldn't bear to think that another person was risking his life for him-first it was Sasuke, Sakura and now Neji? How many more people was going to fight for Naruto's sake, just because he wasn't strong enough? I'll be Hokage, and I'll protect everyone I love! Naruto thought fiercely and shook his head stubbornly, before lunging towards the enemy with a battle cry.

Neji was in no mood to protest with a determined Naruto. His chakra levels were dangerously low since he had been using his eye technique for a long time now, and was straining himself. He felt a harsh blow land on his right cheek and fell sideways, gasping at the horrendous pain. Naruto cried out his name in a screech, sounding enraged before stepping in front of him with his arms wide open and a menacing look in his eyes. Neji's eyes widened at the blonde haired ninja's antics, and a breif image of an elderly Naruto wearing the Hokage hat flashed through his mind and he smirked, shaking his head.

Naruto growled dangerously and ducked, before flying through the trees and landing a blow on the man's skull-which he dodged efficiently. The enemy glanced at Neji's way, hesitated before running towards him with a sword in the air. Naruto screamed and lunged forward, his eyes a dark, scarlet red as he harshly grabbed the enemy's wrist and flung him across the forest, grinning and baring sharp fangs. Neji's eyes widened with horror when he remembered the different Sakura he saw during the chuunin exams and as he stared helplessly as Naruto lunged in to attack the man, Neji grimaced and closed his eyes, shaking with fear.

Monsters, he thought as he stared at Naruto's back, who was brutally attacking the poor man whose screams seemed to linger in the air, making Neji shudder. He never knew this side of Naruto, and he didn't want too. Such a strange team, Neji thought as he pressed himself further within the tree trunk, closing his eyes tightly as he gripped his fists. Neji's eyes opened again when he saw Naruto running towards him, his eyes blue and he looked-to Neji's relief-human.

"Neji! Are you okay?" Naruto asked, franticlly taking out a bandage. Neji coughed, making small droplets of blood escape from his mouth and didn't reply, he didn't need to-  
looking at his state was enough to make anybody come to the conclusion that Hyuuga Neji was not okay. Naruto growled and he sent a glare at the dead body, who had slowly made a pool of blood underneath his torn body. Neji refused to see the body, he had enough blood and lust for death today.

Naruto sighed, feeling anger wash through him when he saw Neji's broken body. Memories of seeing a half dead Sakura and a nearly dead Sasuke in the Forest of Death surfaced through his mind, and he grimaced at the memory and crouched low to Neji side, swinging his arm over his body and standing up with wobbly knees. But Neji snatched his arm away and fell to the rough ground, glaring at his hands. Naruto was shocked and gave him a pleading look, but Neji shook his head and refused his pity.

"Go retrieve Sasuke and Sakura, baka" Neji said, smirking. Naruto nodded feverishly, tears running down his cheeks as he left a collapsed Neji-he had to retrieve Sasuke and Sakura, he had too-Neji, Shikamaru, Chouji and Kiba had risked losing their lives because of this dangerous mission, and he had to be the one to finish it. Naruto sped past the trees with determined eyes, his fists clenched tight as his thoughts drifted to his comrades.

I'll find you Sakura and drag you back Sasuke! I swear I will! Naruto thought, grinning.

-

-

She breathed hard, ragged breaths before picking herself up from the ground and grinding her teeth agaisnt eachother, raising her axe for another blow. She missed, and was sent hurtling towards the tree where her spine connected and she cried out with pain, landing on her face with bloody hands clutching her stomach. Her mind pounded, her heart rang in her ears and every fibre in her body burned like fire, but Sakura had to stay strong, she had to grab that stupid cage they were keeping Sasuke and run away back inside the safe gates of Konoha. The man approached her, kicked her in the stomach and Sakura screamed, tasting bitter blood inside her mouth and groaned with pain, feeling weak and frail.

I can't...I can't lose, Sakura thought as she staggered to her feet, exhaling sharply as her unused Yin seal glittered agaisnt the harsh stare of the sun. The enemy had been pissing her off lately, and she had been very tempted to use her Yin seal and her demon's chakra-combined. The man lunged forward, a pyscho grin plastered on his face as he raised a sword,  
aiming at her neck. Sakura shut her eyes and felt tears running down her cheeks, this is it she thought as she collapsed on her knees, ready for the cold metal to chop her head off swiftly and raise it up like a trophy.

But it never came.

Sakura blinked her eyes and she gasped, finding Naruto in front of her holding the blade so tightly blood trickled down his palm and around his wrist. Sakura could only sob with relief, happy that the blade was in his hands-not aimed at his heart, for Sakura did not want the demon to take over her again. It's dark, black chakra stirred inside her stomach, swirling dangerously.

...Use my chakra! Use it! Use it!...

Her vision blurred and she fell sideways, feeling light headed but not completely dead. The chakra inside of her was too strong, far too powerful for her to handle and she couldn't help but lose her balance and fall on the rough ground. Naruto growled and charged, his battle cry wavering through the air as he raised a kunai with two shadow clones beside him, determination in their eyes. Sakura weakly crawled to the cage where Sasuke was, and quickly undid the seal and created a hole big enough so she could see Sasuke. His eyes widened and a snake hissed around his neck, but Sakura was always too quick, even at the weak state she was in. Sakura killed the snake silently until it fell limp in her hands, dragged it outside and tossed it, before returning her gaze to Sasuke.

"Please, please" Sakura said in a raspy, husky voice that trembled. Sasuke closed his eyes, he couldn't bear to see Sakura in so much pain now, not when memories of the faded Team 7 surfaced through his mind and surged through his bones, making him shake with sadness and regret. Sasuke so desperately wanted to free himself from the cage and hug Sakura, he wanted to come running to Konoha and embrace his family-but he knew he couldn't. And Sakura knew too, it was just Naruto, who still had his hopes and courage in his heart.

Sasuke meet her gaze, and he drew a hard, ragged breath and anger washed through him when Sakura was dragged away, and he pressed his eye agaisnt the small hole and clenched his fist. Sakura lay sprawled on the floor, coughing and shaking as she tried to stand up, to no avail while Naruto ran in her direction-only to be kicked across the forest and landing agaisnt a tree. Sasuke screeched and felt the Curse Seal spinning out of control, and he broke the cage and stepped out, a menacing look in his eyes as he approached the man who dared touch his comrades.

Kimimaro smirked, his blank expression looking amused as Sasuke took a couple of steps forward, chakra swirling around him and increasing in a fast pace. Sakura violently coughed, her shoulders trembling and Sasuke screeched when the man held Sakura by her hair, making her groan with pain as blood trickled down her face and ran down her jaw line. Kimimaro threw her at him, and Sasuke swiftly catched her in his arms. Sakura blinked, and raised a shaky hand to brush away his hair and smiled sadly, tears mixing with the blood.

"Kill her or else Orochimaru will never make you strong enough to kill...Itachi" Kimimaro said. Sasuke seethed with rage at the mention of his brother's name, but Sakura gripped his shoulder and raised her head, until her forehead was pressed agaisnt his as she stared deep into his eyes. Sasuke felt the anger go away, and it was replaced by mixed, tangled emotions as Sakura exhaled sharply, her blood running down his cheeks.

"Don't...go" she whispered, before passing out in his arms. Sasuke sat there, shaken and reached out to crawl towards Naruto, and held both of his teammates in his arms as tears ran down his cheeks. He was torn, torn between his teammates and killing his brother-it was tempting to run away with Kimimaro, but it hurt so much to see his comrades dying in his arms, and for the next few years-he could never be there by their side, protecting them with all his might. Kimimaro eyed the girl and boy in Sasuke's arms and sneered, tossing a kunai in front of Sasuke who stared at him, his eyes wide and hidden away from his bangs.

"Kill both of them. If you don't, I'll make them suffer" He said. Sasuke gripped his hand on Sakura's limp clutch and shakily stood up, the kunai in his hand as he stared at Kimimaro with a glare in his eyes. He lunged forward, kunai raised as he was inches apart from Kimimaro-before Kakashi appeared behind him and plunged a sword deep inside Kimimaro, making him gasp in shock and collapse on the ground forward on top of Sasuke, who trembled with fear as he pushed the limp body away from him and cried, crawling back to Sakura and Naruto.

Rain slowly pattered down, and Kakashi stood watching as Sasuke sobbed, clutching Naruto and Sakura in his shaking hands as he raised his head, tears falling down his cheeks freely. Kakashi felt pain and anger wash through him, and he clenched the sword tightly in his hands.

A stream of blood ran down the rough ground, mingling with the tears, sweat, mud and rain.

-

-

-

Hospitals. They never failed to make Sakura sick to her stomach.

It was already two days after the whole episode of retrieving Sasuke back had happened. Sakura had found herself in the hospital 24 hours per day, huddling in the seat as she waited and waited for Sasuke and Naruto to wake up. She had been the first to wake up, the first to experience interrogation and the first to experience physical pain and torture of the side effects of acheing muscles and old, ugly scars open and fresh.

But none could compare to the pain inside her heart.

That feeling when you would wait in the seat, watching the world come by as you stood still, everybody ignoring you as if you were a ghost. But to Sakura, her world was behind those white doors, where her teammates still lay, fast asleep in the crisp, hospital bed. A sweaty, tired Tsunade came out and Sakura tilted her head upwards, chewing her bottom lip as she was ready to recieve the news. Tsunade looked worn and tired, frail and ancient like a used up water bottle-once the water was drained, it was crumpled and thrown in the bin. Sakura trembled, wishing with all her being that her teammates was going to be okay, that they would wake up any second now and come running into her arms, that-

"They're in a coma" Tsunade said, collapsing on the ground and running a hand through her loose hair, which was plastered on her skull by the sweat. Sakura's world froze and she shaked with fear, her knees trembling as she swayed to the room where her teammates were. Sakura raised a hand on the door knob, and twisted it gently causing it to screech as she slowly opened the door, revealing a dark, dimly lit room with a sleeping Sasuke and Naruto.

Sakura sobbed and fell, leaning her head agaisnt the door frame as she cried in the palms of her hand, feeling pain and anger and loss wash through her bones. Would they be in a coma forever? Sakura thought, and she froze as fear ran through her viens like fire, spreading quickly. Beside her, a shaken Kakashi crouched to her level and swung her arms around his neck, and he carried her to the bed next to Naruto where she lay limply, looking dead and pale. Kakashi trembled as he stared at his team, and he placed a shaky hand on Sakura's head.

"I'm dead, Kakashi. Dead without them living" she whispered, her voice wobbly and full of tangled emotion. Memories drifted through the air, and Kakashi felt light headed and dizzy as he sat down on the arm chair, suddenly scared at the sight of a dead looking Sakura. She truly does look like a corpse, with her tangled hair in a messy heap like a broken halo, her glassy eyes, pale skin and dry, bloodless lips-she looked dead, barely alive, barely human-and it frightened Kakashi to death.

Sakura sobbed inside her palms, her tears wet agaisnt her warm hands and she shivered, her shoulders trembling as she fisted the bed sheets and shut her eyes tightly, chewing her bottom lip so hard, a trickle of blood came running down her jaw line and done her neck. Sakura screamed, hating the sight of red liquid and wiped it away with her wrists, which was smeared with dried blood and old wounds. Kakashi sighed, running his fingers through his hair and paused, before slowly walking to the door and twisting the door knob. Sakura held her breath, this was the scence where Kakashi would stop, run into her arms and cry on her shoulder, saying she was a brave girl that had enough guts to drag Sasuke back and that Naruto and Sasuke were going to wake any second now, and that-

Creak. The door opened, Kakashi left and Sakura breathed heavily, staring at the white ceiling before sinking deep into the bed, the thick blanket tangled around her thin frame and her hair plastered to her skull as she closed her eyes, wanting to sleep so she could forget the pain, forget how much it hurt inside of her. The soft scent of lillies seeped through her nose, and she felt sick and light-headed at the smell, which seemed so bright and happy for this occasion. Sakura smashed the vase across the wall, and water spilled over the wall and the broken lillies fell to the floor with a soft thud. Sakura shuddered, closing her eyes and pulling the blankets over her and gripped the edge of her shirt, trying so desperately to sleep and to forget the pain.

-

-

-

Neji cracked open an eye, and then the other and stared at the ceiling for a moment, before slowly tilting his side to the side to see a worried looking TenTen and a crying Lee. Neji scoffed, stretched his muscles before swaying his legs to the side and groaned with pain, feeling he had a 1000 year slumber and his bones were not working properly. Worry seeped through his bones as the memories surfaced through his mind, and he franticlly ran outside and limped down the corridor, his hand clutching the wall for support as he reached a door and barged open, breathless with worry. Three pale faces greeted him, each had a scar or an ugly wound across their faces, their hair tangled around their heads and their face scruffy and blank. Worry spread through his chest as he saw Naruto, anger replaced it when he saw Sasuke and gritted his teeth, knowing that Chouji and Shikamaru had nearly risked their lives just to drag back a stupid, thick Sasuke, who barely had a scratch on him except for the deep gash on his shoulder, that looked old and ugly.

Neji barely remembered anything, except for the fact that Naruto had killed the enemy and left him, dying agaisnt the tree of chakra exhaustion when Shizune, the assistant of the new Hokage had ran past and saw him, carried him back to Konoha where he passed out in the hospital and everything else had been a blur of white, sweat and blood. He hated visiting the hospital, which was growing more and more frequent than ever since he had been assigned on more missions than ever. Yet it always reminded him of death, blood and loss and the white, plastic furniture seemed like a joke to him-white was for purity, it was disgusting to be used as a furniture colour in a place where it stank of dried blood and tears.

"Neji, are you okay?" TenTen whispered, placing his hand on his shoulder before eyeing the fallen Team 7 that lay on the hospital beds, looking barely alive. Neji didn't answer, instead he brushed her hand away and walked out of the room, craving for air and a quiet place to think, away from all the chaos. But Konoha was restless, and as Neji groaned in annoyance-a marble bench caught his eye and he sat down, staring at the naked, sharp trees with skinny branches sticking out like knives and closed his eyes, before glancing at the road and shivering. This is the road that leads out to the village, maybe Sasuke had taken this? Neji thought as he stared down at the dirty path and closed his eyes, trying to imagine the Uchiha walk down this road, the pale moon's rays spilling out beneath the clouds and illuminating the village, creating shadow and light.

Shadow and light, how ironic.

He guessed Sasuke was the shadow and Naruto was the light, yet where did Sakura fit in the jigsaw? Neji could imagine her behind Sasuke in the shadow, in her own league of darkness and despair and he shivered, remembering her disturbing performance at the chuunin exams and clenched his knuckles, the breif image of her laying on the hospital bed, lingering between life and death came to him and he knew that there were two sides of Sakura, he just wished the other side-the dark one, could vanish through thin air from his vision. It made him sick to the stomach seeing somebody die, and yet he was such a foolish coward on being disgusted by seeing somebody die because he knew that one day, somebody would die in his hands, and that somebody could be the person he loathed or loved.

He wished it was the first option.

The thought of Hinata came to his mind, and guilt washed through him like a disease and he was grateful, really grateful that Naruto had beaten sense into him. It was about time the stick up my ass would dissappear, Neji thought with a smirk as he qouted Naruto, who said that proudly when he landed the final blow on him. He felt pity for Hinata, that she had been pressured by her father to be perfect as Hanabi, who was always distant and mature even for her age. Neji touched his forehead protector and gently unhooked it, and held it in his hands, the mark on his forehead bear and naked to the world. He felt odd and incomplete without the headband around his mark, and hastily placed it back and stood up, digging his hands deep inside his pockets as he headed back to the hospital, the soft breeze passing by his locks and gently whipped his face, before dancing away.

The thought of limping back to the Hyuuga mansion made Neji shudder, especially at his weak state and he knew that he had to go back to the hospital, even though it stank of blood and sweat which never failed to make him feel light-headed and dizzy. Apparently, his phobia of hospitals was shared by several ninjas, including the infamous Sakura Haruno who seemed to have a mysterious supply of chakra within her, especially her fight in the chuunin exams where dark, powerful chakra had swirled around her ankles and rose to her waist. It made Neji wrinkle his nose with disgust, thinking of an endless amount of chakra could be tempting at some occasions where he wished he had it, but sometimes it disgusted him because of all that chakra and power that was so strong, it could make you sway and lose your balance in an instant.

"Hyuuga-san, are you okay?" Neji whipped his head around to meet the concerned eyes of none other than Haruno Sakura, who gazed at him with a worried expression in her face. Neji scowled, thinking how weird it was she was cold and unapproachable and the next, kind and worried-no wonder some people say war either makes you bitter or soft. Sakura noticed the look on his face and shook her head gently, her tangled hair whipping agaisnt her face as the wind passed, as if they were hissing at her mere prescene. Neji also noticed the change of weather as the sky turned a murky grey and glanced at Sakura as rain slowly pattered down and he stepped back as if her prescence alone would bring destruction and pain.

Sakura gave a bitter laugh, hardly noticing her old wounds open as the rain came down like needles, knowing that Mother Nature must really disapprove of her since everywhere she went, there was always rain and puddles, sadness and blood.

...Child of Darkness, it is your destiny and your prophecy...

She clenched her fist and walked away, leaving a shocked Hyuuga as he watched her figure dissappear slowly, vanishing through the rain as she headed around the corner, leaving a small trail of blood and tears.

-

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His eyes flared open, revealing a dark look in his expression as he quickly stared at his surrondings, cursed under his breath and glanced at the sleeping form of Naruto and the messy bed beside him, and the breif image of Sakura came to his mind and his eyes widened in panic as he ran out of the bed, limping with pain as he escaped from the hospital. He had to find Sakura, he had to apologize to her, he had to see her face and make sure that she was okay, that she was alive and in one piece, that she-

Tsuande saw him, flared her arms over her head and came charging down the corridor, her vice-like grip around his shoulder tightening as he dragged him back to his bed, and placed a buckles around his wrists and ankles. Sasuke roared and thrashed violently, the Cursed Seal activated as his eyes turned a dark crimson, before he finally broke free and lunged in to attack Tsuande. Immediatly, ANBU came in and pinned him down, adding seals to the metal buckles that left his wrists and ankles sore and red. Sasuke sobbed, tears welling in his eyes as he stopped moving violently, only laying limply on the bed as a pained Tsuande stared at him.

"Sakura...Naruto" he whispered, earning a look from Tsuande before he passed out, swirling deeper and deeper into despair and darkness.

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MAJOR CLIFF HANGER RIGHT THERE PEOPLE!

Hope you enjoyed, LOL! Not much fighting scenes as I promised *sobs* but I've been so stressed lately that all I can do is write tearful angsty fanfiction and eat chocolate while reading novels like the Night Circus or Nicholas Sparks, which never fails to make me cry, and cry, and cry, and cry, and cry, and eat more chocolate!

Thirteenth chapter took me three days to make! AHH! 3 DAYS! IMAGINE! But I've been studying my ass off lately, since Exam Week is coming up and I am so scared shitless I am practiclly living in the library with my blankets and butloads of books and my lucky laptop. 


	14. Chapter 14

Training, blood, tears and sweat and memories are all in this chapter! Hope you enjoy xx

Sakura did a perfect backspring, arching her back before landing on her two feet and digging her nails inside the mud, hissing and growling as she spit out blood and laughed, her hair plastered to her skull as she leapt to the air, doing a perfect split before throwing her axe in the air-aiming for her neck. But Tsunade was faster, more experienced and had survived through the wars, seeing guts and blood spill first-hand.

"Die bitch!" Sakura hollered, grinning like a maniac as her eyes turned a sapphire hue, but a shade three times darker as she lunged in for another attack. Tsuande hissed and dodged, the sake bottle slipping from her fingers and crashed to the ground, mingling with the mud and rain to create a disgusting smell that lingered in the air. Tsunade wrinkled her nose in disgust, before plunging her fist to the ground causing it to rapture.

Sakura always took out her anger on sparring with people, and after the look of horror on Neji's face as she approached him and when the rain came gushing down violently as if her mere prescence hated her, Sakura wanted to release her anger, release the pain inside her heart and kill. The demon laughed within her as she leapt from the dust, axe in hand and her shimmering eyes glowing agaisnt the sun's rays. Tsuande swore under her breath and took a couple of steps back, wondering why the usually calm pink-haired ninja had decided to attack her two hours ago.

Tsunade dodged her attack, but Sakura turned around sharply, grabbed her neck and flung her across the training grounds. Sakura howled and raised her axe, releasing an inhuman, demonic battle cry before lunging in, her fingers gripping the axe so hard a trail of blood ran down her palms. Tsuande's eyes widened with horror, and just when she was about to dodge the attack, Sakura froze midway and her eyes widened, returning back to green before the axe slipped from her fingers and landed on the rough ground. She collapsed on her knees, and sobbed, releasing the concealing jutsu so her Yin seal shimmered agaisnt the sun, for the whole world to see. Tsuande gasped and crawled forward, her eyes wide with awe and suspicion as she realized a young girl had the Yin seal, a powerful purple diamond on her forehead where she gathers chakra.

"...how?" Tsuande asked breathlessly, touching the Yin seal on her forehead. Sakura tensed, but relaxed after a couple of seconds when Tsuande drew her hand back, noticing the girl's discomfort. Sakura didn't answer, instead she wiped the blood from her palms to her pants and hugged her knees, burying her head inside. She had wanted, out of desperation and frustration, to discover the wise person-the person who survived through many, many wars, the person who knew death like a best friend and had experienced so many things, so many that they weren't going to be surprised.

...Don't tell her...

Sakura wanted to pour her heart out, to trust this women who she thought was the wise person she imagined, and to be comforted by her worries and stress. It was so hard, being disgusted and being viewed as a monster from the people who you wanted to protect, yet somehow she had gone through it without killing herself,  
though she had tried on numerous occasions only to be laughed at the demon, saying that she was immortal. Sakura shivered, her clothes torn and her appearance dishevelled as she bowed down, her forehead touching the ground.

"I'm so sorry, I'm just really...stressed" Sakura whispered, knowing it was a pathetic lie. Tsuande rose a brow, but did not question no further as she sighed, running her fingers through her hair. The young girl's actions had scared and interested her, she was frightened that Sakura would release her anger on civillians and fight young children, but also interested that her eye technique-a technique that was extinct for a billion years now-had appeared in her very eyes, and she wondered what else the girl's secrets were since she had a Yin seal as well. Sakura realized her mortified expression and released a bitter laugh, snapping Tsunade back to life.

"I'm a monster, aren't I?" Sakura whispered before standing up, dragging the axe agaisnt the rough ground roughly as she walked away. Tsunade closed her eyes breifly, and a picture of a young girl, with eyes as dark as the deep, deep ocean and a cane above her head appeared, with a one-eyed monster behind her, releasing a demonic laughter with a bright, red moon above.

Tsuande shivered, feeling frightened and frail.

Naruto woke up, to see a fully awake Sasuke, who drummed his fingers impatiently agaisnt the bed, the metal buckles around his body grinding agaisnt his flesh. The door creaked open, and in came a messy looking Sakura, who smiled weakly at Sasuke and Naruto before collapsing on the ground. Naruto gasped and held her limp body in his arms, and struggled to place her in the bed as he threw the covers around her frail body. Naruto eyed the ugly wounds and shuddered, seeing Sasuke gaze at the pink-haired ninja who looked barely alive as her eyes glared daggers at the ceiling, feeling self disgust swallow her whole.

"I'm so sorry" she whispered in a raspy, throaty voice as tears ran down her cheeks. Sasuke exhaled sharply, closing his eyes as he wondered why Sakura was saying this. He threw his head back in annoyance, biting his bottom lip while Naruto slowly sat on his bed, wincing in pain as he stretched his muscles. Sakura watched the blanket around her be soaked in blood, mud, tears and sweat and sighed, not flinching once when the doors slammed open.

Everything else was a blur of white and blood.

In the next 72 hours she found herself inside a dim room, gigantic metal buckles around her body with chains and seals, holding her down on the rough ground as she grinded her teeth agaisnt eachother. So this was payback for fighting the Hokage, Sakura thought bitterly as she realized she had gone through 3 days without food or water, her chakra levels were dangerously low and her wounds were left open and ugly, ready to catch any infection. But she didn't care, she never cared and she even knew that her comrades were in a better state than her, she couldn't help but wonder if they were truly alright.

Sakura clenched her fist, feeling the cold metal rip her flesh and hissed, releasing a cloud of smoke billowing through the air. The buckles had emphasised how thin her wrists and her body was, her hair was plastered to her skull, dark circles were underneath her eyes and there was dried blood on the floor, mud in her hair and sweat trickling down her forehead. The thick metal door slammed open, creating the ground to quiver as a dark shadow came in, followed by Sasuke and Naruto and Kakashi,  
whose eyes had grown large at her state.

"SAKURA!" Sasuke and Naruto hollered in unison, immediatly coming down to her side. Sakura breathed heavily, feeling the buckles and chains being released from her body and she lay on the cold floor, tired and hungry. Kakashi was shaking with anger, and Sakura heard his shouts from the corridor as he argued with Ibiki, head of interrogation. Sasuke's shaky hands helped her up, while an angry Naruto fisted his knuckles and wiped the frustrated tears from his eyes. Sakura limped, meet Ibiki's gaze and she gave out a bitter laugh, her bloodless lips moving for the first time over the three days. They stared at her as she laughed, collapsing on her knees as her laughs turned to sobs, and she eventually passed out in Sasuke's arms, whose trembling hands gently wiped away the sweat from her forehead.

The next thing she knew it, Sakura was admitted to the asylum ward for three whole days, constant visits from Tsuande who apoligized to her over and over again and constant visits from her team. It pained all of them to see her to weak and frail, looking so limp and dead in the bed she always was in. But she was discharged nonetheless,  
and Sakura was not allowed to take missions for three whole months. She remembered when she stepped inside her apartment, and had wanted to run back to the asylum ward or the hospital, but she restrained herself.

It hurt, it hurt so much.

The pain would throbb in her head countinuesly, the demon would send the worst nightmares and the dark chakra within her would increase a startling rate that she would often fall from the power. It was hard being a monster, harder to accept that you had a background on asylum wards and hospitals and nearly murdering the Hokage. Yet Sasuke and Naruto still cared, and it moved her to tears since she didn't deserve their love, but she hoped it wouldn't end any time soon. But Sakura knew she couldn't keep her hopes up, and as the day slowly turned to dusk and it was the last day of the three months, Sakura was perched on Tsuande's head, her chin raised as she gazed at the beautiful sky.

Sakura closed her eyes, and waited, waited for such a long time before her eyes opened again to reveal startling sapphire blue eyes, that gazed at the sky as she held a hand,  
swirling it in patterns before the sky turned a dark mauve. Sakura gasped, her eyes wide with awe while the demon merely chuckled, and she realized that the demon had more secrets than her, and she felt scared and frightened at the same time. Her ankles swayed and she sighed, feeling light headed and dizzy as she lay down on the rough ground,  
closing her eyes as she clutched her shirt. A dark shadow stretched across her, and Sakura meet the eyes of Tsuande, who sat next to her as she stared at the scenary in front of her.

"How?" Tsuande whispered, glancing at the sky. Sakura carelessly raised a hand, swirled another pattern and this time, the sky turned a pale lavender tinged with pink and gold. Tsuande gasped in delight, looking amazed as the sky and clouds moved obediantly, as if the pink haired girl alone was making them. Sakura held her breath, before releasing a deep sigh and sat up, her green eyes staring at Tsunade's back. She was so tired, so tired of being alone and afraid yet she could never bring herself to tell the Hokage, who had the power to kill her almost immediatly if she spilled her secrets.

Instead, Sakura stood up, gave the sky one last glance before turning away, her fingers shaking as she touched her tangled hair, which reached her back now. Tsuande closed her eyes, and a soft smile graced her lips as the wind whistled by. Too bad Sakura was going to ruin the mood.

"I'm a monster" Sakura said harshly.

The smile dissappeared, the lines deepened on Tsuande's face as she watched the girl's figure vanish in thin air, a sad look in her eyes as she returned her gaze back to the sky. An incredible girl with amazing talents, what a waste, Tsunade thought bitterly as she lay down, her hair sprawled around her.

"What a waste" she whispered, closing her eyes.

Sasuke wandered around the streets, until he saw Sakura sitting in a dark alleyway, a fallen bin next to her as she slowly faded into the background. But her pink hair and green eyes could never allow her to hide, much to Sakura's despair. Sasuke sat in front of her, staring at her with his dark eyes as he raised a hand to brush away her hair, feeling the sweat run down his fingers. She's in so much pain, Sasuke thought as he clenched his fist, remembering seeing a weak Sakura who was prisoned, and was sent away in an asylum for three days before not allowing to take any missions for three months.

"Sasuke...where's Naruto?" Sakura whispered, her voice thin and weak. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders carelessly, earning a sad look from Sakura who turned away, her hair spilling across her shoulders as she sighed, rubbing her eyes as she yawned. Sakura had many restless nights, she was so scared to sleep in case the monster took over her and would send her nightmares,  
they were growing worse and worse nowadays. Sasuke saw the expression on Sakura's face and he realized how much she'd age, she looked older now, more bitter and distant-probably from the constant visits at the hospital, 72 hours of torture and three days of the asylum ward. Sasuke shivered as he stared at Sakura's blank expression.

"You are a ghost, Sakura. Almost gone" Sasuke whispered. Sakura meet his gaze, and the weak child in her eyes returned, shivering with cold and poverty. Sasuke placed a hand over her shaky fingers and closed his eyes, feeling the cold skin underneath him warm up immediatly. How stupid of him, leaving Konoha when he knew he could leave a broken Sakura, it pained him how selfish he was, thinking for himself than others because Sakura always thought for other, never herself as if her mere existence was never important.

Sakura shivered, tracing the broken Christmas tree in her hands and gave out a bitter laugh that surprised Sasuke as he gently placed the tree away. But Sakura held it, her fingers digging into the sharp leaves, causing the flesh to open.

"I spent Christmas in an ayslum ward Sasuke, of course I'm a ghost" she gave out a chuckle with her dry lips. Sasuke gave a weary smirk, and Sakura could only give a tired smile back. But their unspokable, shared pain was interrupted when Kakashi appeared in a whirlind of smoke, eyeing his two students with a sad smile. Sakura didn't meet his eyes, instead she stood up and dusted her pants, looking away.

"Hokage needs you, some sort of mission. See you" with that, Kakashi left without a word. Anger bubbled within Sakura as she ran on the rooftops to the Hokage's tower, Sasuke trailing behind her. He shows compassion and amusement towards Sasuke and Naruto, but a stare and a blank expression for me? Sakura thought as her hair whipped across her face harshly, making her tuck it behind her ear. Sasuke jumped, Sakura tripped and she fell down, her eyes glittering-hoping her pain would go away with just one crash-

But it never came. Sasuke held her in his arms, his eyes full of pain and worry as he gently placed her down on the floor. Sakura didn't meet his eyes as they ran back to the Hokage tower, she didn't need too, Sasuke probably saw how suicidal his teammate was, how desperate she was to get rid of herself. But then, I won't be here to protect them, Sakura thought bitterly as she paused in front of the tower, exhaling sharply before improving her posture.

"Your mission is to hand back the scroll to the Land of Waves, start tomorrow. No questions shall be asked, you are dismissed" Tsuande said briskly, an empty sake bottle in her wooden desk. Sakura was glad that the meeting was over, it saved the curious glances from the other ninjas who either eyed her with disgust or fear. She wasn't effected though, she had other people to do that job, she thought dryly as she walked out of the room, her eyes shining with tears as she ran outside. Naruto wasn't there, Naruto hasn't been in here for weeks now, Sakura thought as she increased her speed, until she arrived at the gates.

Naruto and the legendary Sannin walked, their figures barely recognizable because of the distance. Sakura ran, her eyes full of tears as she hugged Naruto from behind, catching him off guard as she buried her face in his neck. Jiraiya eyed the girl and chuckled at Naruto's gentle face as her shoulders started to shake and she released the hug. Naruto spun around, his eyes gentle as she pressed her forehead agaisnt his, their forehead protectors slightly clashing with eachothers.

"You couldn't even say goodbye" Sakura croaked, her shaky fingers fisting his shirt. Naruto didn't reply, instead, he gave her a huge grin and hugged her tightly, his arms warm around her skinny and cold body. Sakura wrapped her arms around him, and he released the embrace and punched his knuckles in the air, laughing as he adjusted the forehead protector.

"I'll come back one day! Stronger, so I can protect you and Sasuke-teme!" Naruto cried. Sakura felt her heart shred to pieces as she remembered Sasuke's words and gave him a smile, tears running down her cheeks as she playfully punched his shoulder. Naruto laughed, ruffling his hair as he leaned forward, indicating for a big kiss. Instead, Sakura flicked her finger on his forehead, and he gave a surprised yell and she giggled.

"I'll give you one when you come back, baka!" Sakura yelled, laughing as her tears were long forgotten. Naruto smiled, glad his best friend had showed a smile and a laugh for god knows how long. Soon, Sakura was left to see Jiraiya and Naruto slowly fade away, Naruto constantly turning around to wave and Jiraiya flashing her an assuring smile. But when they dissappeared, Sakura collapsed on the ground and sobbed, for that vacancy in her heart had expanded a drastic amount, and she clutched her heart while limping back home.

It was hell trying to go back home, with the annoying sneers and taunts that hurt her so much. But it was when Ino had approached her, that she truly knew what the real meaning of pain was. They stood in front of eachother, silently sharing the memories of the chuunin exams and Sakura shuddered, exhaling sharply as she tried to say sorry, but no words came out of her mouth. Ino gave her a blank expression.

"We thought you were dead" Ino sneered, a look of disgust in her face. Sakura stared at her, her green eyes turning a sapphire blue and Ino took a step back, looking scared and frightened. Now she knows what my eyes can do, Sakura thought with a small smile in her face, she will be scared.

"I thought so to. But 72 hours in interrogation with your daddy and three days in the asylum ward really wakes you up" Sakura replied coldly, before walking ahead and barging past her so hard she fell backwards. Sakura gave a satisfied grin as she headed back home, looking triumphant. It was one thing nearly murdering that blonde bimbo, but another whole level of humuliating her and making her fall flat in her face with just one nudge. No wonder she's pathetic, Sakura thought dryly as she entered her empty house, where it was empty and cold, lifeless and hardly lived in.

At least she had a family, Sakura thought as she shut her eyes, falling down on the sofa. There was a soft knock on the door, and Sakura hesitated, before twisting the door knob to see Sasuke's worried and concerned face. Sakura held her breath, wondering what he was doing here and silently let him in. He observed his surrondings, before leaning agaisnt the wall-his gaze on her face, searching for something. Sakura looked away and leaned agaisnt the door, collapsing to the floor and hugging her knees, wishing Naruto was here to wrap his warm arms around him-but it never came, and Sakura knew she should never took Naruto's kindness for granted, because she had been a selfish bitch once, always wishing for something that she already had. How far we've come, she thought as she stared at Cursed Seal on Sasuke's neck.

"Why wasn't Naruto...in the meeting?" Sasuke struggled to choose the words. Talking to Sakura was like a bomb mine, if you said something wrong-a bomb would explode and she'd be left, broken-hearted and shattered like glass. He wanted to protect her so much it hurt, because in his eyes she was a frail girl, clinging to her family which was himself and Naruto, the weak girl showing in her eyes-it made him want to protect her, to the point of madness. No wonder he wanted to leave the village, to become stronger but he'd also hesitated because he knew, he knew that if he left he wouldn't be here to protect her and Naruto, and he nearly had truly vanished from her life. It was pathetic really, how he wished to protect her but nearly left.

"His gone...training with Jiraiya-san" Sakura whispered, her wide green eyes meeting his gaze as she slowly stood up and approached him, grabbing his wrists and resting her head on his shoulder. Sasuke closed his eyes briefly, feeling the warmth of another physical being swallow him up whole that left him light headed, and he watched as she meet his gaze, chewing her bottom lip. Sakura knew why Naruto had left, for she had heard Jiraiya say something about an organization that was after the tailed beasts. Sakura shuddered, clutching her stomach and Sasuke placed his arms around her, pulling her to an embrace.

"Let's go after him" he whispered. Sakura pulled away, her eyes wide with excitement and fear. She could be there for Naruto without him knowing, she could see his progress and judge Jiraiya's teachings, she could be there to protect him. And Sasuke would be there for her and Naruto, it was perfect, it was just the mission they were assigned to tomorrow. Sasuke saw her pained look and placed a hand over her wrist, catching her attention.

"We can ditch the mission, please-we need to go this midnight" Sasuke said, a hint of desperation in his voice. Sakura reluctantly nodded and gave a weary smile and it was decided, they were to meet in the bench at midnight and go after Naruto together. Sasuke bid her farewell, a smirk on his face and Sakura ran up the stairs, packing a few stuff with shaky hands. Her stomach rumbled, and she placed a hand over it and sighed, knowing she couldn't keep awake with an empty stomach. She could imagine Tsunade's scowl, and Sakura smirked as she ate some left overs downstairs, before changing into a metal fishnet top, black shorts with knee high boots and a red cape over her, tied securely so it would not slip. Sakura's hand would not stop shaking, for she was so excited, so happy that she could follow Naruto and see him grow, for she truly missed him so much, even though it was about three hours ago that he left. Warmth spread through her chest as she imagined the three of them reunited once again. Sakura strapped the axe on her back tightly, not wanting it to fall and create such a destruction.

"Were coming for you Naruto, were coming" Sakura whispered, her eyes shining.

It was a thrilling experience, bunking off a mission and going after Naruto without permission and possibly coming back to the interrogation ward. But Sakura could hardly care, and as she crept slowly into the night, fitting right in with the shadows, she breathed and a cloud formed around her. She paused as she stared at the bench, and painful memories surfaced through her mind when Sasuke left, promising her that he'd come back. He actually did, Sakura thought as she placed a shaky hand on the bench. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe she should never go after Naruto, maybe she should trust Jiraiya-

"It's all in the past, now let's go" Sasuke whispered behind her and Sakura spun around, her eyes wide as she nodded feverishly. They ran in a comfortable silence, but as Sakura exited the Konoha gates, she gazed at the passed out guards. Sasuke grabbed her wrist, told her it was for the best and she could only nod, for words could not come out of her mouth. The demon's chakra stirred with excitement, and she felt sick and light headed and had tugged on Sasuke's sleeve after five hours, with a weak and weary smile.

"Let's rest, were pushing ourselves too far" Sakura said. Sasuke hesitated and glanced at the path, before nodding his head and they soon made camp under the stars and the shady trees, the earth underneath them and memories hung in the air, thick with blood and sweat. Sakura held her breath and couldn't sleep that night, for she was so scared Sasuke would dissappear and leave her, leaving a note saying that it was best he would go alone and that she should go back. But he never did, for he held her hand and told her in a firm voice that they would do this together, and it comforted Sakura so much she fell into a heavy slumber.

But while she slept, the demon was restless, sending her the most frightening nightmares she ever encountered, full of rotting bodies around her and flames burning the flesh, while she stood in the middle of it, grinning like a mad, mad psycho. Sakura abruptly sat up, sweat trickling down her forehead as she scrambled to her feet, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. The damp air felt cool agaisnt her hot skin, and she could only sigh with relief at the feeling.

It was around four am, and the sun was slowly floating to it's rightful place in the sky where it was the colour of pale coral, tinged with gold and lavender. Sakura remembered how she'd change the colour of the sky, how Tsuande had witnessed her undo her concealment jutsu and sat there-her Yin seal glittering agaisnt the sun for all the world to see. She wondered how she was now, and an image of a drunk Tsuande and an annoyed Shizune came to her mind that made her chuckle. The demon's chakra slowly vanished, and as Sakura realized she couldn't go back to sleep anymore, she decided to pack her things up and have a quick bath in the nearest river or lake.

Much to her delight, she encountered a water fall and a lake underneath, and could only strip down and dip inside the refreshingly cool water and swim, feeling the water run down her body as she did so. Sakura plunged underneath, enjoying the silence under the water before breaking the surface and coughing, but a happy smile settled on her features as she swam back to shore, grabbing her extra clothes which consisted of a red shirt and blue pants and left her hair wet, making water run down her back. Sakura stared at her ugly wounds and shuddered, reaching for some bandages inside her bag when she heard a faint rustle of leaves and stopped, alarmed.

Sakura could care less if the nosy intruder had seen her naked, for her worries were on Sasuke and she stood up, a kunai on both of her hands. The bushes, Sakura thought as she eyed the rose bush, slowly approaching it and suddenly, out came a rabbit that ran past her and inside the woods. Sakura laughed at her stupidity and reaction, swung the backpack over her body and ran back to her campsite, where she found an awake Sasuke eating his rice balls.

She sat next to him and took out her own food, which consisted of an apple and two rice balls and began to eat, savouring the taste in her mouth before snatching Sasuke's water bottle and eagerly drinking it. He scowled at her antics, and began packing away, making sure he or Sakura did not leave anything behind before standing up, stretching his tense muscles and watch as Sakura wiped her mouth with her hand and grinned at him, feeling refreshed and clean for the first time.

"Let's go" Sasuke said, earning a nod from his fellow comrade before they quickly headed towards their destination, running in an inhuman speed while everything was a blur. It was not long before Sakura's hair was dry, probably from the speed as she ran but also because of the strong wind that came whistling by. Sakura tightened her red cape as they ran through the thick forests that stank of moss and crushed herbs with woodsmoke, it was a scent that made Sakura dizzy with exhilaration. Suddenly, Sasuke grabbed her wrist and she spun around, giving him a confused look before it was replaced by a blank expression. Three shadows appeared, resembling three young boys who grinned at them-but it didn't worry Sasuke and yet it worried Sakura, because she was afraid that she'd kill the young children and tensed, her hand shaking as she clutched the kunai.

...Children, how delightful! Their flesh is rosy and warm...

Sakura gritted her teeth. No way in hell was she going to kill three children, as if! She calls herself a monster, not a monster who goes that far to eat and kill children. A mental image flickered through her mind and she shuddered, before putting on a blank expression and twirling the kunai at her fingers, her other hand inside her cape that was trembling and shaking. But Sasuke, noting Sakura's broken state, gritted his teeth and lunged forward, swinging his katana over the thin strings that caused the puppets to collapse on the ground and break into pieces. Sakura sighed, but her relief was quickly overcome with self disgust and she realized how weak she truly was, and gripped the kunai hard and turned around, her eyes shining with hatred for her stupid actions.

Sasuke watched as Sakura ran, and he sighed, trailing after her quickly and eventually ran next to her, seeing the determined expression in her face. Her courage was admirable, nearly as amazing as Naruto's but instead of showing it, she hid it away, Sasuke thought as he gave his surrondings a quick glance before turning to face forward. Sakura paused, her eyes wide with excitement as she narrowed her eyes to concentrate. Sasuke could only watch curiously as her eyes turned a sapphire blue and he gasped, taking a step back as Sakura scanned the town and finally, she gave a satisfied grin.

"His here, I can feel his chakra. His staying at a hotel, nearby the hot springs with Jiraiya-sama" Sakura breathed, feeling new found confidence bubbling up her stomach as she thought of Naruto's pleased face and grinned. Sasuke nodded curtly, his thoughst focused on her strange eye technique as Sakura lead him inside the village, telling him to mask his chakra since the great toad Sannin will probably feel it in a flash.

As they walked in an even pace through the bustling streets of the town, Sakura spotted a few brothels and lounges dotted around the area and wrinkled her nose in disgust, knowing perfectly why Jiraiya had chosen to stay here for Naruto's training. How low of him, she thought as she paused suddenly, and stood in front of a pleasent looking hotel with a garden at the front with a marble fountain and the hot springs nearby and gave out a sigh, wondering what kind of luxury it would be to stay here. Sasuke gave her a nod and they both approached the reception area, whilst Sakura's eyes turned a vivid sapphire as she scanned the corridors and hallways until she saw Naruto's room on the third floor, full of messy clothes and his trademark orange jumpsuit and saw the avaliable room next to it.

"Can we book a room on the third floor please?" Sakura asked, knowing that the only room free on that specific floor was the one right next to it. Sasuke gave her a look, but decided to trust his intics on placing his trust on his comrade, who seemed at ease with herself. The man checked the clipboard and nodded, and after Sasuke had assured Sakura he would pay for the room, they both headed upstairs to room 78. Sakura immediatly jumped at the bed next to window and unpacked all her equipment, spreading it across the bed as she carefully polished her kunais and the large axe that was strapped around her back. It was a great relief to have the axe not laying on her back, it gave her endless amount of pain that surged through her bones and weakened her body until they were numb.

Sasuke sighed, dropping the bed as relief had spread through him. They had been sleeping on rough grounds while it had been raining, and sleeping on the wooden, clean floorboards would be luxury for him. But the soft mattress that he sunk into was better, making him go sleepy and numb when Sakura poked his shoulder playfully, her eyes wide with excitement as she ran towards the window, opening it wide enough so cool air came whistling in. Sasuke approached the window and saw the streets of the town full of stalls and laughing people, and it dawned to him that they were in a festival. It was tempting really, being torn between Naruto and a joyous occasion that happened every month. Sakura tugged on his sleeve, giving him a pleading look.

"Come on, Naruto might be there with Jiraiya-sama" Sakura said. Sasuke gave in, and he soon found himself trailing behind Sakura who looked intrigued at the gaming stalls and the sweet food. It struck to Sasuke that he had never seen his female comrade this happy, and he decided to savour the moment because nobody truly knew when Sakura was going to explode into tears and blood-her mood swings was way worse than any other person he ever came across. Suddenly, fireworks sped through the night sky, before shattering and exploding into a colourful display. Sakura was awe struck and she remembered herself and Naruto, hurriedly putting on their shoes as they ran in the busy streets of Konoha, shouting with delight as the fireworks would come and explode.

Naruto, where are you? Sakura thought as she scanned the thick crowd, before returning her gaze to the sky. Another rocket came up and exploded, looking as if a star had fallen and had exploded mid-air, showering the whole world with it's colours, leaving people dazzled and desperate for more. Sasuke admitted he enjoyed the display, it wasn't often he'd find himself standing next to Sakura with a comfortable silence, staring as the fireworks exploded. But the thought of Naruto came to both of their minds, and they quickly went around the festival with no hope or luck.

"I can't sense him, his probably left" Sakura said sadly. Sasuke sighed, and both of them returned back to the hotel to spend the night after a busy day. Sakura felt relief wash through her when she saw her bed, and lay down, staring at the pale azure ceiling before rolling to her side. The window was closed, but Sakura could still see the fireworks exploding, until their colourful rays shimmered the sky and left a trail, before vanishing completely.

It was a perfect moment, Sasuke decided. A beautiful firework display and the noise of Sakura's even breathing calmed his nerves down.

The sun streamed inside the dimly lit room, and Naruto poked a head from his blankets and gave out a loud yawn, swinging his legs to the side as he stretched his tense muslces, grinning. Yesterday had been so cool! he thought excitedly as he remembered yesterday when he perfectly mastered the Rasengan. It will so impress Sakura! And Sasuke-teme's Chidori won't stand a chance, Naruto thought as he entered the bathroom, fresh from his deep slumber.

Though he didn't want to admit it, Naruto had missed his teammates, especially after he and Sakura had retrieved Sasuke (with the help of Kakashi) and almost immediatly, he had to leave the village with Jiraiya. He remembered vividly when he parted with Sakura, and had wished he could at least have said goodbye to Sasuke-but Jiraiya insisted their journey to be top-secret, and was left baffled when Sakura had hugged Naruto from behind, telling him how stupid he was not to even say a goodbye.

But it was for the best, Naruto thought, I could come back stronger than ever and protect Sakura and Sasuke! With that, Naruto wildly punched the air and his fist connected with the bathroom mirror, causing it to shatter. He gulped and nervously wiped the blood in his pants, feeling sheepish and worried on how Jiraiya-sensei was going to react. Jiraiya never told him where they were going, and always seemed elusive these days when he would mysteriously dissappear into those houses full of girls and return back home, tired with exhaustion. Naruto was rather dissapointed at first, but eventually warmed up to Jiraiya who he saw as a father-figure, something he'd wanted for a long time.

He wished Sasuke and Sakura were here to see him develop, Naruto thought as he changed into his orange jumpsuit and came out of the bathroom, to see a fully awake Jiraiya who grinned at him, his wild white hair tangled and messy. Naruto always wondered if Jiraiya took advantage of his speed to change quickly, but his new sensei was too damn lazy to countinue or finish anything that it made Naruto lose his temper. He missed the old Team 7, back when Kakashi was around and they'd taken silly D-Rank missions, but so much had changed after the chuunin exams, that it made their bond weaken just a little bit, and he felt like he was the one to pick up the broken pieces.

"I'll be heading out to do a little...research, you are free to go around the village since it's our last day!" Jiraiya said, before dissappearing quickly. Naruto frowned and complained, thinking how unfair it was that Jiraiya had been slacking off these couple of days. He had hoped Jiraiya would show him another technique, but sadly his new sensei was extremely 'tired' and 'exhausted' after a long day of so-called 'reserach'. It disgusted Naruto to no end on how perverted his new sensei was, and realized with horror that Kakashi was just as bad, always reading those dirty orange novels of his.

I have such bad luck with senseis, Naruto thought as he put on his shoes, feeling lonely without Sakura or Sasuke. He couldn't wait to go back to Konoha, yet he knew deep inside his heart that he'd never be able to see his beloved village for a couple of years, since he had heard Tsuande whisper to Jiraiya right before they left 'a five year training program' under her breath. Five years is such a long time, he thought as he packed up his things so he wouldn't bother to do it later-Sakura would've been downright proud with that, Naruto thought as he grinned. That burning hole inside his heart grew bigger and bigger, and he realized that with time-he'd be used to it all, used to not have Sakura and Sasuke around him, fighting by his side. It pained him that he'd never be there for them for five years and never protect them, and he was worried who his sudden replacement was going to be for those lonely five years.

He could still imagine it when he closed his eyes, Team 7 being together at the ramen shop-and all of that broke into a million pieces when Suna had tried to invade Konoha, he had learnt the Cursed Seal and Sasuke was so close from vanishing from their lives, everything had changed and left all of them bitter and a changed person. But he tried, so desperately tried to keep it together with his optimistic attitude, and sometimes he'd earn a smile from Sakura, or a smirk from Sasuke.

How he missed the old days.

Sakura had realized that she and Sasuke had come all this way for nothing, and she was very, very bitterly dissappointed with it all. She could just imagine the happiness on Ibiki's face when she'd visit the interrogation ward yet again and shivered, hating the cold cells that had broken bones and dried blood smeared across the walls. It was weird how Naruto wanted to protect a village that had such harsh traditions, yet she couldn't blame Tsunade for punishing her and Sasuke since they ditched a mission and went after Naruto without permission. As Sakura gave one final look at the town, her eyes widened and she paused.

That chakra, she thought as her high senses immediatly told whose chakra identification belonged to. Her body was tense, and she saw Sasuke worriedly stand next to her as she swayed to the side, her head throbbing. They're after the Kyuubi...they're after Naruto, Sakura thought as she turned cold and quickly spun around, her eyes turning a sapphire hue. Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"They're after him!" Sakura hollered and hastily ran back towards the hotel, chakra pumped in her feet. It had taken a while for Sasuke to catch up, and when he did he felt his chakra weaken a little bit as he stopped Sakura and grabbed her by the shoulders. She fell limp in his grasp and her pallid expression and cold eyes meet his gaze that sent shivers up Sasuke's spine. Sakura let go of his grasp and countinued to run, looking frantic and nervous. Sasuke had no choice but to go after her, he was worried-what had Sakura seen?

Sakura ran inside the hotel, her knees trembling as she quickly ran across the corridor of the second floor, frantic to head for the staircase when Sasuke stopped her, and she screamed with frustration. Naruto was being chased by two criminals who are after him! Sakura thought angrily as she tried to let go of his grasp, but suddenly-the ceiling broke and out came a flying Itachi and Kisame, with Naruto in their hands.

Sasuke's blood ran cold. Sakura stiffened.

"Well, well-if it isn't my foolish little brother, and what's this?" Itachi said darkly, his deep eyes never leaving Sakura and Sasuke's form.

Ohhhh...whoops! Itachi meeets Sasuke, omg, omg, omg! Totally descriptive chapter coming up next xxx


	15. Chapter 15

ohhhhh! Sasuke finally meets Itachi-and what's this? a pink haired girl by his side! Things are gonna get sooo MESSY!  
Anyways, I've been drawing Sakura in my sketchbook to see her progressesion and I've been tracking down extremely awesome kekkai genkais etc that she can finally use when she grows older because in my story, Sakura is the 10th bijuu vessel meaning she can do ANY jutsu-including the Creation of All Things and Sage of the Six Paths and the Yin-Yang seal!  
I will make her shine with my description!

Wednesday Addams! Whoop, Whoop!

Do not own Naruto! (or a Kindle *cries* so unfair!)

ENJOY!

* * *

Sakura shut her eyes. She knew she would encounter Itachi Uchiha, but never in her wildest dreams would she encounter the elusive man with her two best friends that looked murderous and both shocked. Naruto's cry made her come back to life and the killing intent stirred in her stomach along with the demon's chakra, who begged her to use his chakra now.

...So long I've wanted to fight this man, so long...

His words spoke of history and the past, and it made Sakura shudder. She gave Sasuke a glance, who was as still as a statue, his face blank and impassive as he lunged in. Sakura could only watch helplessly as Itachi tossed Naruto aside, and she leapt in the air to catch him and her eyes widened with anger as she saw Sasuke being held by his throat agaisnt the wall so hard blood started to trickle down Itachi's hands. Kisame grinned at her, his large sword swinging in the air and Sakura placed Naruto aside, taking off her cloak to reveal her gigantic axe. Kisame chuckled as he examined the axe, looking impressed by it's quality.

"Hope I get to eat your little heart and steal your axe, pinky!" Kisame roared before he lunged in to attack her. Sakura gritted her teeth and leapt upwards, before landing behind Kisame and punching him behind the back, sending him hurtling forwards. Sakura heard Sasuke's cry and she spun around, running towards him as she aimed her axe on Itachi's neck, only to be pulled viciously away when Kisame grabbed a handful of her hair. The axe slipped from her fingers and she hissed, before Kisame held her up, leaving her helplessly trying to kick and loosen his grasp on her hair. Kisame laughed and sneered, tossing her side by side earning a mortified look from Sasuke.

"I heard about you, little girl. You nearly killed the Hokage!" Kisame yelled. Sakura froze, and the memories surfaced through her mind and she felt disgusted with herself even more, it turned her as bitter as salt. Sakura kicked the criminal in the rib cage, only to be punched by none other than Itachi who had left Sasuke in the corner, bleeding by his throat. Sakura collided agaisnt the wall and screamed, coughing as the dust swirled around her body and blood trickled down her jaw line.

Sasuke felt anger rapture and control his emotions, and his Cursed Seal activated by his killing intent as he lunged forward with his Chidori in his right hand, letting out a furious battle cry as he aimed for Itachi's stomach. Naruto stirred awake and saw the destruction around him and Sakura's body and he trembled with fear, which was quickly replaced by anger as he ran towards Itachi with a Rasengan-only to be stopped by Kisame who unfortunetly received the Rasengan, and was thrown across the corridor.

Sakura blinked her eyes and felt grit block her vision, but it slowly dissappeared when her moss coloured eyes turned a dark shade of sapphire, her Yin seal activated as the purple markings surronded her face. She slowly stood up, an unholy glow around her as she dragged the axe that scraped across the floorboards, her face hallow and blood streaked.  
Itachi's dark eyes turned a crimson red and Sakura let out a bittersweet laugh, her special eye technique was powerful agaisnt the petty Mangekyou Sharingan, but she decided to play along anyways. Sasuke and Naruto watched with bewilderment as a different Sakura took over, and this Sakura looked unholy and beastly, demonic yet alluring at the same time. She gave them a smile.

Time stood still.

She found herself on a cross, nails digging into her palms as her flesh was burnt by the flames. Sakura screamed, trying to fight the smirk in her face as her eyes turned a deeper shade of sapphire, and she was released immediatly by the cross and the illusion vanished. Itachi stared at her, his Mangekyou Sharingan long gone as she gave him a glare, before Itachi ran in an inhuman speed towards her with a kunai. Sakura dodged the attack, and was earned a large blow on her skull that cracked and she hissed in pain, feeling the Yin seal slowly dissappear and her sapphire eyes turning back into green.

"Ignorant fool, the world goes by stupid and brutal and yet you still remain like that" Itachi sneered as he took out a katana. Sakura stood on her knees, her chin raised up proudly as the blood trickled down her forehead and down her collarbone, making a stream of thick blood smear across her face. She gave out a laugh and clutched her stomach,  
feeling the demon's chakra vanish away.

"The world goes on, stupid and brutal. But I do not. I shall not!" Sakura hollered, and with every remaning chakra she had she raised her hand up and her chakra formed a dark tail from her palm and thrashed violently at Itachi. And with that, Sakura fell forward with a harsh thud, the blood staining and dripping her hair.

"SAKURA!"

* * *

Pain.

It never failed to surprise him, shock him or come in a physical or mental force-and this time, it was both. Sasuke glared at the ceiling, hearing the faint thud of his heartbeat as he slowly tilted his head to the side to find a sleeping Sakura and memories, painful memories surfaced through his mind.

Why are you so weak? Itachi asked.

Sasuke growled, his fists clenched as he shut his eyes tightly, before glancing at the sleeping form of Naruto and staring at the open space. The door opened and in came Kakashi, looking worn out and tired, the deep lines under his eye grew deeper. He gave Sasuke a weary, tired smile before glancing fondly at Sakura and Naruto and dragged the arm chair next to Sasuke's bed, shaking his head as his silver tousled hair moved.

"So much has changed, right Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, his voice hoarse and rough. Sasuke didn't answer, he didn't need to for Kakashi had already known from the start. The revenge and killing intent to see Itachi dying in his hands was a strong force, but Sakura's face appeared in his mind and he felt so torn. He wanted to kill Itachi so badly, yet he wanted to protect his teammates. Why me with all the harsh decisions, Sasuke thought bitterly as he stared at his hands, his shallow breaths barely heard. The pain throbbed and surged through his veins, and he grasped the Cursed Seal while groaning with pain. He panted, and could only give Kakashi a nod as a sign of a weak thank you, because it seemed the Cursed Seal was taking revenge on him now that he didn't go running to Orochimaru.

...Sasuke...come...

Sasuke immediatly froze at the sound of Orochimaru's voice in his head and he gripped the bedsheets, feeling anger and pain fill the empty hole in his heart. His mind became restless when he could not speak, and plans of leaving the village formed in his mind. But those plans would vanish immediatly when he stared at Sakura and Naruto's faces, but Orochimaru's screaming voice would drown back in, filling his mind and heart. Soon, he was driven by passionate killing intent and a need to leave the village, and the Cursed Seal slowly activated and spun wildly around Sasuke's pale neck. For once, he did not flinch at this.

Instead, he smirked.

* * *

...Amaterasu, what a nice name for you, since you don't like Child of Darkness...

His voice drowned in, laced with mockery and laughter. Sakura thought it was disgusting, being compared to a Sun goddess who burns bright in the beautiful gates of Heaven, when she truly deserved to be in the burning gates of Hell. The demon laughed within her, sending painful vibrations to her stomach and she gave a soft hiss that was covered when she dug her face deeper inside the soft pillow.

...You are just like Izanagi, you have Amaterasu in your heart, the Tsukuyomi in your bones and the Susanoo in your mind-they'd be proud to have such a vessel...

Sakura clenched her teeth as she took a while for the information to sink in. So the demon had lived long enough to meet these magnificent Alpha humans, she thought dryly. The beast within her was older than she expected, maybe he was around here for a long, long time. Centuries, Sakura thought, or maybe more.

...I was made when this world was created, you are to decide how old I truly am...

She held her breath, her eyes widening with fear. A strange creature with so much secrets in his heart, so much history behind that eye that could take Sakura years just to see his whole life-and yet, he still lived, lived within her, breathed within her-and on very rare occasions, had controlled her and made that little piece of humanity within her vanish.

...I have been searching for you for a long time now, you are the Child of Darkness. I have had many vessels, even before the Sage of the Six Paths yet none of them seem quite as special as you...

Sakura closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to believe what he just said. I am no Izanagi and I am no Child of Darkness! I am Haruno Sakura who will decide her own fate! Sakura thought angrily, her burning passionate anger increasing drasticlly as she gripped the bedsheets, twisting it slightly so it ripped.

...Than why were you born with the Yin seal and other techniques? Because you were once a fallen star, skipping through generations until you finally settled in this generation. You have so much power within you that I do not have...

Sakura refused to believe it. She was so tired of being told stupid myths and fairy tales from the beast, so tired of being controlled-so tired of never knowing her real strengths and finally, she was so tired of all the unsolved questions and the pain she felt that pushed her to losing her sanity. Go burn in hell! Sakura thought, shaking with fear and anger and pain.

...I am in hell, Izanagi...

* * *

Naruto had always wondered what it was like to have a family.

Somebody who would scold him for his bruises, somebody who would make him ramen and hug him and protect him, somebody who was always there to be a shoulder to cry on or a source of warmth, somebody to be there who understood him the most. Family was a foreign word on his lips, until he meet Sakura and the Third Hokage, who he grew up and grew to cherish and savour those precious moments when they were truly together. Yet, his family had expanded, letting in Sasuke and Kakashi and his new team, and Naruto did not give up easily for he wanted to hold on to his family, he didn't want them to dissappear.

Yet sometimes they did dissappear. Sometimes they came back.

He was so fed up of picking the broken pieces Sasuke left behind, so fed up of seeing a pained Sakura and a stressed Kakashi. What had ever happened to the days when they went out on missions, celebrated their victories in the ramen shop and went back home with warmth in their chests? Kakashi was a stranger now, Sasuke merely a shadow and Sakura, his precious Sakura, was trying her best to sew herself back on.

It was so difficult for him to leave Konoha, to leave the people he cared dearest about but he promised himself he'd come back a stronger person. But now he found himself in a hospital in Konoha, he thought bitterly as he closed his eyes tightly. When Sakura had laughed at Itachi, the purple markings on her forehead and the unholy glow around her, something snapped inside of him, and a breif image of a large fox with nine tails came to his mind, and the fox was bowing low-as if Sakura's existence was as special as the Kami-sama himself.

He had never told anybody this, but sometimes he would dream, dream of running down endless corridors-trying to find something, something that was so important to him and he'd suddenly wake up, panting and exhausted. Sometimes they'd be nightmares, nightmares of a demonic fox with nine tails and scarlet red eyes, staring at his soul as his tails came nearer and nearer. Naruto always wondered what it meant, if the nightmares and dreams could play an important role in his life, but he had always brushed that idea off and shaked his head for his appalling stupidity.

Until now.

Something about Sakura's other personality had made him feel as if he should bow low because of her prescene, and he felt such a relief when her other personality would eventually fade away and vanish, waiting to be used again but until then, the Sakura he grew up and loved would replace her, gentle and kind like she always was. And him and Sasuke would always be waiting, always be waiting for the Sakura they knew and love to appear back again, laughing and smiling.

Too bad Sasuke had other ideas.

* * *

The air was thick with dust and grit, the water splashed gently agaisnt the slimy rocks and the sky was bleak and grey, full of thick clouds and rain slowly dripping down. Sasuke stood on the edge of Madara's head in the Valley of the End, Orochimaru's voice in his thoughts and heart. He grinned, his Sharingan activated as he leapt to the water, making it move underneath his feet. He was such an idiot for not leaving Konoha in the first place! he thought, but then an image of a dying Sakura and Naruto in his arms flickered past his mind and he groaned, collapsing on his knees. Orochimaru, your taking over me! Sasuke hissed, clenching his fist.

...It's too late to go back now...

Sasuke clenched his jaw and staggered to stand up in his two feet as he slowly made his way back, but he froze when his entire body moved the other direction as the Cursed Seal swirled around his neck and he grinned. What's happening? I can't control my body! Sasuke thought angrily as he unwillingly walked the other way. No, I am going back to Konoha! Sasuke thought determindly. But Orochimaru, who was slowly losing his patience, appeared behind Sasuke and flung him the other way, before dissappearing back into the Cursed Seal that lay on his neck.

"Dammit Orochimaru!" Sasuke hollered as he slowly got on his feet, noticing the damage he had caused. He had to go back to Konoha, or Orochimaru will take control of him completely, since he had been so cunning by hiding himself within his Cursed Seal. Fucking snake, Sasuke thought as he tried to walk the other way, but was flipped the other way instead and forced to walk that path, much to his frustration.

I can't leave Konoha, Sasuke thought as he tried his best to walk the other way. The Cursed Seal fully activated and Sasuke froze, and slowly a sadistic smile appeared on his face as he walked the other way, ignoring the real thoughts of the real Uchiha Sasuke. Orochimaru chuckled softly, hoping they could escape Konoha without a fight.

"SASUKE!" Naruto hollered, on top of the cliff as he leapt to the air, landing on the water perfectly with an angry look in his eyes. Sasuke grinned at him as the chakra from the Cursed Seal slowly surronded him.

...Ah, the Kyuubi container-what an honour...

I am not going to fight him, I am not going to fight him! Somewhere within Sasuke's brain, the real one was tied up by chains, snakes dangling from the cross he was nailed on. But instead, Orochimaru ignored him and decided to use the fake 'Sasuke' to harm his best friend. Naruto seethed with rage, anger boiling up in the pit of his stomach as he pointed a shaky finger on him, his eyes raging with anger.

"How could you?! Your so selfish, thinking about your own needs!" Naruto yelled. I'm so sorry Naruto, Sasuke thought desperately, I'm so, so sorry. But no words came out of the fake 'Sasuke' instead, he smirked and licked his lips in an Orochimaru-fashion. Naruto shuddered and took a step forward, determined to bring back Sasuke for Konoha and Sakura. He would not waste Sakura's efforts on persuading Sasuke to come back because he had already caused Sakura far too much pain on nearly leaving. Naruto took out a kunai and ran swiftly, dodging Sasuke's attacks as he landed on a log, the water levels rising as the waves crashed towards the surface.

"What about me, Kakashi and Sakura!" Naruto yelled, his fist shaking as the other hand held a swirling Rasengan. I want to come back! This isn't my desicion, Orochimaru is controlling me! Sasuke screamed in his head, thrashing violently on the chains where he was held prisoner in his own mind and body. Orochimaru sneered from the Cursed Seal and hurriedly controlled the body of Sasuke Uchiha, making his face grin with amusement.

Naruto, disgusted the fact that his comrade and teammate was happy in a weird fashion, quickly dodged the blow and determindly ran, screaming his battle cry. I'll never give up on you! he thought as he quickly did another Rasengan and ran towards Sasuke, his eyes wide with rage and determination. Memories filled the air, the laughter, the sweat, the blood and the tears that they had shared-the loss of their loved ones, trying to crave for comfort, their little broken family-all of it, all of the memories hung in the air. And Sakura's laughter was plastered on Sasuke's mind, her green eyes wide with excitement and her cheeks flushed, making the body of Sasuke stop abruptly.

...How dare you stop!...

This is it, Sasuke thought, gritting his teeth. Even though it was for one second, he'd tell Naruto as best as he could, about how Orochimaru was taking over him and as he fell on his knees, his wide eyes full of tears as he crawled patheticlly towards Naruto who held his breath, the Rasengan slowly dissappearing as Sasuke tilted his head upwards, causing one droplet of rain to trickle down his face and mingle with his tears.

"Orochimaru, his taking over me-"

To Sasuke's horror, the Cursed Seal activated and he hissed, his eyes wide with anger as a Chidori slowly formed in the palm of his hand. Naruto took a step back, his eyes wide with relief and fear. So Sasuke's body is being controlled by...Orochimaru? Naruto thought, his fist shaking with anger he felt towards the Snake Sannin as he boiled with rage, his pulse increasing drasticlly. But how? Naruto thought, observing Sasuke's actions with a careful eye. His eyes suddenly fell on the black mark on his neck that seemed to be the pinacle of Sasuke's pain and realization dawned to him. Just what had happened during the Forest of Death? Naruto thought, his body trembling.

"I can't hurt you..." Naruto thought, his hands shaking. Sasuke gave him a pleading glance, indicating for him to leave him alone-but Naruto would have none of it. His newfound courage and confidence was extroadinary.

"I'll kill that Orochimaru and that fucking Cursed Seal!" Naruto yelled on the top of his lungs, throwing his head back as the clouds parted, making the sun appear and he grinned, unfastening the Konoha headband and holding it up proudly so it shimmered agaisnt the harsh glare of the sun. Sasuke gave him a thankful glance, but he was soon taken over as the Cursed Seal swirled around his neck, making him to stand up and walk towards Naruto like he was a puppet, with strings so strong nobody could cut it. But there was a hero standing in front of him, his eyes burning with passionate courage. Too bad Orochimaru's opponent seemed to be a determined Kyuubi-vessel Naruto, who could very well cut those strings and bring Sasuke back.

Naruto tied the headband around his forehead, grinning like the mad boy he was before leaping into the air, aiming for Sasuke's neck. Sure, he didn't have a plan (he never had a plan) but maybe if he pushed the Rasengan deep in that Cursed Seal, maybe it would dissappear. With the cost of breaking Sasuke's neck, but Tsuande could heal it! Naruto thought excitedly as his made-up plan slowly formed in his mind.

I will bring you back, Sasuke-teme! Naruto thought as another Rasengan swirled in the palm of his hand, his eyes wide with courage and confidence.

* * *

Something isn't right, Sakura thought as the heavy buckles were placed on her wrist in the interrogation ward for punishment. Sasuke and Naruto have disappeared she thought worriedly as she stared at the window with thick bars on it, only allowing minimal sun rays to come streaming in.

...Your life is never right...

Sakura sneered at the comment, she knew he was right but couldn't bring herself to agree with him because of her stubborn nature. She had those perfect memories of all four of them as Team 7, doing those silly D-Rank missions that made all of them whine in protest. A bittersweet smile appeared on her features as she realized that would never happen anymore, and she hung her head down, causing her tears to drop on the rough, cement ground.

...You keep clinging to the past, always in denial that your team is still as perfect as ever...

Shut up! Sakura thought angrily as she thrashed on the chains, her mind fixed on Naruto and Sasuke. The demon laughed, but said no further as black chakra escaped from her palms and dug inside the metal buckles, causing it to snap and fall to the ground. Sakura gave a relieved sigh as she rubbed the sore marks around her wrists and thanked the demon reluctantly as she stood up and ran towards the metal door. This time, the demon didn't need to help her because Sakura frustration and rage mingling together made a horrible, horrible outcome.

Sakura slammed her fist on the metal door, causing it to fall backwards with a loud thud. Alarms went off wildly, buzzing and throbbing on Sakura's mind as she quickly smashed the window and escaped, her feet pumping with chakra. Great, I'll be in even more trouble than before, Sakura thought dryly as she glanced at the Hokage tower. Something within her had told her to head towards the isolated atmosphere of the Valley of the End, a historical valley full of the memories of war between two, bitter rivals who had once been great friends.

...Madara the fallen, Hashirama the light-yet Madara had played his role on dying well, too well...

She didn't need a history lesson, for she truly knew what had happened during the Valley of the End. Madara wanted to destroy the village with the Kyuubi, and there in the Valley of the End did they fight, fight until Madara was dead, Sakura thought. But her insticts had told her to push the demon on spilling more of his secrets, since he had been born when the whole world was created-he was bound to know more history of this world than anybody could ever hope to.

...He had pretended to 'die' and had gone to hide...

Sakura narrowed her eyes as she countinued to run, her eyes fixed with a determined look as her hair whipped past her face. Even if you've lived long enough, how come you know everything? It's as if you have eyes everywhere, Sakura thought as she speed past the trees, exhilarated by the cold and damp air.

...I am the 10th Bijuu, I see all and I know all...

And that's coming from a beast who only has one eye, Sakura thought, sneering. The demon thrashed violently within her, roaring with impatience and Sakura hissed in pain, clutching her stomach as she paused, panting and trembling. The pain vanished and Sakura gritted her teeth before running towards the Valley, anger boiling in her stomach as she speed past the trees, everything a blur in her eyes.

* * *

"SASUKE!" Naruto screeched, the Kyuubi's chakra forming around him as it quickly healed his wounds as he lunged forward, the Rasengan in his hands. By now, it was too late-Orochimaru had taken over him, making his skin go a pale grey and his eyes a dark black. Sasuke lunged forward, his hand outstretched with the Chidori in his palm as he ran forward, the water violently shaking underneath their feet as they made their way forward.

"Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura-ALL FOR YOU!" Naruto hollered as they lunged forward, their faces inches apart when-

Sakura stepped forward in between Naruto and Sasuke, embracing both blows to create a big, extrodinary explosion.

Time seemed to stand still.

Sakura released a scream and fell backwards, collapsing on Naruto's arms as he fell to the floor, his eyes wide and his hands shaking. Orochimaru, being the sick bastard he was, dissappeared so the real Sasuke could see what damage he had caused. Sakura lay on Naruto's arms, her blood filling the lake as she choked with laughter, tears and sweat falling and mingling with the blood. Sasuke took a step back, his eyes wide with fear as the one he strived to protect, the one he loved and cared for was-

"She's dying..." Naruto whispered, his vision blurry with tears as he sobbed, clutching her limp body. I killed her, Naruto thought as he placed a hand over the large hole in her body and he cried harder, his vision slipping away.

...You killed your own teammate, you can't go back now...

"I KILLED HER!" Sasuke hollered, falling to his knees as he cried on the palms of his hands, his tears falling and slipping in between his fingers. His whole body shook with rage and pain as he tried to stand up, only to fall flat on his face as the water beneath him shook underneath his body. His whole body was burning, like a flame and the ugly wounds opened, flesh and blood mingling together as he crawled towards a bleeding Sakura, who stared at him with lifeless and glassy eyes.

She lifted a hand up that was streaked with blood and rested it on his forehead, tears running down her face as she stroked Sasuke's cheek and hung her head on Naruto's shoulder, who had passed out beneath her. Sasuke grasped her wrist and pressed his forehead agaisnt hers, feeiling the blood from her clothes come rushing in to his stomach and he cried, mourning his loss as he clutched both of her wrists.

...Run away, far, far away-you don't belong here anymore, you killed her...

Realization came to him and he slowly stood up, Sakura's blood all over his body as he took a step back, horror plastered on his face. I killed her, I'm a monster! Sasuke thought angrily as he stared at the pallid faces of Naruto and Sakura.

Rain fell from the sky. The sun had dissappeared, leaving a murky grey colour in the sky as Sasuke ran away, his whole body trembling.

"Sasuke..." Sakura whispered, but it was loud enough for Sasuke to hear.

The madness stood still.

"Don't..." Sakura said, before her eyes started to close as the blood slipped inside the lake, mixing the water with her thick, flowing blood.

"I'm a monster" Sasuke said, before vanishing in thin air as the rain came down harder now, like needles.

(Memories, memories, memories, memories, memories, memories, memories, memories-

Bittersweet memories that will never come back)

Blood, blood, blood. Bathed in her own blood.

Dying.

Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, Sakura,

Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto, Naruto,

Yet...no Sasuke...

* * *

"Where is Sasuke?"

Tsunade looked up and wiped the sweat from her forehead as she held back her fear of blood and countinued to heal Sakura, who stared at her with her wide, lifeless green eyes. Naruto lay beside her, wide awake as he stared at her with his cerulean eyes. Naruto reached a shivering hand to hold Sakura's trembling hand, in which she loosely squeezed. She looks so dead, both of them look dead, Tsunade thought as she stepped back to see if her work was succesful.

She had desperately tried to bring them back to life and they did, but she could never heal that pain and those scars in their hearts. They're all broken, Tsunade thought as she looked away, tears streaming down her face. Team 7, the most strangest team of all, Tsunade thought bitterly as she silently left without the answer to Sakura's question.

Yet she didn't need to, nobody needed to answer Sakura's questions.

She was so tired of being weak and being the burden, so tired of crying and crying and crying, she had craved to be a heroine, a girl who stood next to Naruto and Sasuke who was smiling and laughing. Yet Sakura hardly knew that girl, the girl who had once laughed with Naruto and Sasuke, the girl who had other feelings such as happiness. Now, she was broken and the only thing she could feel was pain, pain in her heart, her soul, her body and her eyes.

Naruto clutched her hand, his whole body shivering and shaking. How we have come, he thought bitterly as he stared at the pink haired girl, who stared at the ceiling with glassy eyes and a dead-looking face stained with tears. What had happened to the old Team 7, the one who made a vow to eachother to protect and care for eachother, his family-the only family he truly had? Naruto was so weak and tired that he could barely cry and sob as he stared at the limp figure that held his hand loosely.

I KILLED HER! Sasuke yelled.

His voice seemed to echo in Naruto's head, and pain throbbed through his veins like a disease as he clenched his jaw. You were wrong Sasuke, Naruto thought as he closed his eyes, shaking with anger. He knew that Sasuke strived to protect Sakura, he could vividly remember when he and Sasuke had taken the blow from Gaara just to save her. And she in return had saved us from our monster selves, Naruto thought bitterly.

Sakura embracing both of the Rasengan and Chidori, her eyes full of tears.

Naruto could remember every detail of it. The way her body had jerked violently, the way her arms had spread like wings and embraced their blows, the way she screamed afterwards and the way she started to bleed-until he fainted from the sight. It's all my fault, Naruto thought angrily, if I hadn't used that chakra...she'd be okay, and Sasuke would be laying next to me. But the untouched hospital bed next to Naruto was empty, and it will forever be empty.

"Give me love" Sakura whispered, tilting her head to the side as she meet with Naruto's gaze. Naruto held his breath, his eyes wide as the tears threatened to fall, but he hastily wiped them away and squeezed her hand, his mouth quivering.

"I always have" he said softly. Before they took her away, before all of the sadness was gone and replaced by anger, before the Kyuubi had taken control of him.

"LET HER GO!" Naruto yelled, his blue eyes turning a scarlet red. ANBU came, running inside. Tsunade came, shaking with fear and anger. Kakashi came, his eyes wide with awe and fear. The whole world came, watching as Naruto held the limp Sakura in his arms, a dark red chakra swirling around him as he screamed.

"GO AWAY!" He yelled.

* * *

"Naruto...Sasuke..." Sakura whispered, before her eyes slowly closed.

72 hours later.

Blood, it tasted bitter and sweet inside her dry mouth. But it was such a relief, such a relief to feel something other than despair and pain-such a relief she could cry. But she couldn't, because in the interrogation centre, if she shed at least one tear, Naruto would be kicked again by the ANBU. And this is a village that Naruto wants to protect, Sakura thought bitterly as she stood behind the glass wall, watching Naruto being hit repeatedly. Something stirred inside her, something deadly and a harsh killing intent came in to cover that vacancy in her heart, and she gave out a bitter, bitter laugh.

Pain had turned her and Naruto and Sasuke into a changed person. Even Naruto's kindness seemed to be fading away, stamped and crumpled, burnt by the fire. His happy facade was gone, since a monster lay beneath his happy exterior. Kick, punch, bleed, yell, kick, punch, bleed, yell-what a harsh cycle this all was. Sakura remembered Tsunade begging them for forgiveness, saying that anybody who dared disobey the law was to be punished, no exceptions made. She had started to cry yet Sakura and Naruto had only stared at her, before walking away into the interrogation ward.

Sakura touched the glass wall, her expression blank yet her eyes screamed for them to stop. Naruto raised a bloody head, grinned at her before getting kicked in the stomach which sent him hurtling towards the wall. That was it, the end for the mental and physical torture for Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto, she could hear the tick on the clipboard as the lights dimmed down, and her and Naruto were kicked out and sent back to the hospital, where everybody gave them disgusting looks as they left a trail of blood.

There was a door left open, with a patient laying on the crisp, white bed-his eyes staring at Sakura's back. Slowly she turned around and meet his gaze.

Hyuuga Neji looked away.

Haruno Sakura closed her eyes.

Uzumaki Naruto started to cry.

...Uchiha Sasuke, running, running, running away.

What a bitter, bitter, bitter world they live in.

Pain. War. Blood.

(Memories, memories, memories, memories, memories, memories, memories, memories-

Bittersweet memories that will never come back)

* * *

Ohhhh...sad, bloody EXTREMELY long chapter for your satisfaction! Voila, enjoy my masterpiece people xxx

Just to make sure, I took inspiration from Five Kingdoms for the Dead by Evil is a Relative Term to add a bit of Japanese mythology so I just want to say:  
Amaterasu: Sun Goddess Tsukuyomi: Moon God Susanoo: Storm and ruler of the sea God (is that right?)  
Izanagi: First man, known as a divine human like a 'kami', his female form of himself and his wife is called Izanami.

History check!:

Basically, Izanami died when she gave birth to the Fire island (whatever) and Izanagi was so upset, he went down to the underworld in hopes of saving her. Unfortunetly, he was too late because she already ate the food from hell and had turned to an ugly beast, Izanagi, afraid of his wife, ran away and while 'cleansing' himself, Amaterasu came from his left eye, Tsukuyomi from his right eye and Susanoo underneath his nose.

I'm not so sure if this is all right, so please go check on Wikipedia! Thanks, and I do NOT own Naruto.


	16. Chapter 16

Messyy...bloodyy...ohhh! Things are going crazy now, bitches!

Do NOT own Naruto, or a Kindle, or Anna Karenina novel *sniffs*

VOILA! Enjoy xxx

* * *

Solitary cell, how ironic.

Sakura was thrown into the cell and she landed with a soft thud in the corner, feeling heat rush up to her head as she groaned with pain, sitting up and closing her eyes tightly. Naruto had been sent to the asylum ward and she had landed here, since they couldn't trust her enough to roam the streets of Konoha in case she turned pyscho and started to kill anybody.

...Such disrespect! Imagine how they would react when they know who we truly are...

Sakura rolled her eyes as she curled up in a ball, feeling light headed and weightless. She was used to this torture, usually she'd manage to escape only to be dragged back and forced to stay longer. For Sakura, she enjoyed the peace and quiet inside the solitary cell and would only play with her kunais, often drawing on the wall. She'd draw Sasuke and Naruto, then herself and Kakashi usually. In the end, the drawings would dissappear and she'd be left, dissapointed.

3rd Night.

They had expected her to go crazy, insane and lose her sanity but she didn't, because they didn't know she had already lost her sanity and that she was already insane, living in a halcyon world in her mind where Team 7 sat under a shady tree, laughing and eating.

Halcyon, what a pretty word.

6th Night.

They gave her no food or water, leaving her thin and going mentally crazy.

Maybe next time her and Naruto would exchange places, and she'd find herself in group theraphy-the thought alone made Sakura shudder when she remembered the men wearing white lab coats with too-eager smiles on their faces, examining patients while injecting drugs into them. Sometimes she wondered how horrific this village truly was. No wonder the Uchihas wanted to invade.

7th Night.

That day they had released her. That day they had also released Naruto. Both of them were never the same because of that torture phase, nobody ever viewed them as the 'pink-haired girl' or the 'loud Uzuamki boy', instead-they'd be viewed as insane people, living and breathing, but dying and falling to pieces. Sakura could still remember the first thing she said to Naruto before she passed out and was dragged to interrogation centre.

Give me love, she said.

How pathetic. Sakura could never earn love no matter how much she'd try, she wouldn't even be surprised if they don't give her a grave when she died. Ever since she had been freed from Solitary cell ward in the prison, an ANBU had been close to her until Kakashi had managed to assure them that he'd keep an eye on her. Sakura was disgusted by the treatment they gave Naruto when she realized he had been prisoned in his own apartment, and had marched right up to Tsunade demanding an explanation.

Instead, the Hokage gave her a look and drank her sake, causing Sakura to boil with rage as her Yin seal slowly activated. Kakashi stood by, powerless agaisnt the powerful seal and glanced nervously at Tsunade, who stood up and slammed her fist on the desk, causing it to shake and fall down to the floor. The sake bottle broke and spilled on the paperwork, Shizune wailed.

"I've had enough of you! From this day on you are to be arrested in your house!" Tsunade hollered. Sakura held her breath, feeling self-pity drown her as she spun around, her eyes boiling with rage as she slammed the door open, causing it to break and be thrown across the room. Sakura left without another word, feeling angry as the ANBU held her wrists and dragged her back home with a sighing Kakashi.

* * *

"I'm a monster" Sakura whispered, crumpling to the floor as her shaky knees made her lose her balance. She had been left in her room, the windows were blocked, her possessions dragged and thrown away and all she had was an empty house, and herself in her bedroom, locked up. Sakura took out the sharp pin and dug it deep in her flesh, using her blood to draw on the walls as her shaky hand tried to draw a bird. She had always wondered if she could fly and feel free, it had been an obssession of hers, a secret one she never told anybody, but lately the obssession had dissappeared.

"Your doing it wrong"

A voice. Somebody is in here, Sakura thought joyfully, feeling the loneliness slip away from her heart. She turned around to see a skinny boy with pale skin, deep dark eyes and a sketchpad under his arm, tucked safely away. Sakura's eyes widened, trying to sink in the information that a human being was in her prison cell, somebody who breathed and loved and she exhaled sharply.

"Show me" Sakura whispered, stepping back. The boy stared at her for a few seconds before dipping his paintbrush in the black paint and drawing a beautiful bird on the other wall. Sakura held her breath, marvelling his creation and smiling softly. It was a picture of a bird being freed from the cage, she thought, and maybe one day that painting would hold meaning to her because maybe, just maybe, she'd be free from the cage she was stuck in. The boy started to leave, and Sakura gave out a panicked cry.

"Please don't leave, show me your drawings" Sakura said desperately, reaching in to clutch his wrist. The boy stared at her hand, before nodding and sitting down as he lay his drawings on the ground. Each piece of paper held true art, savage art or sad art-every emotion was placed in each drawing, which Sakura thought made it more wonderful as she traced it gently with her fingers. The boy just looked at her with a blank expression as he suddenly grabbed her wrist, making her tilt her head upwards, surprised at his actions.

"What is your name?" the boy asked as he stared at her. Sakura felt so happy that moment, so happy that somebody was speaking to her. In the solitary prison cell, she had been sneered and insulted which she found satisfying, because at least there was another human there, at least she could feel something other than emotional pain. Stuck in a room, where anybody hardly visits with no light was something she would find herself to lose her sanity completely.

"Sakura" she replied simply, holding up a drawing of a strong lion who held it's chin up, authority and dominance around it.

"I'm Sai" he replied, putting on a fake smile.

And that was the start of the most remarkable and strangest friendship she ever had. Sai was just like her, he never knew his past and found comfort on doing things he loved. She found herself looking forward to his visits and often they would paint, often they would talk but sometimes, they'd just enjoy eachother's company in a comfortable silence.

It made her feel human.

* * *

It had felt like years that Sakura never saw the sun, felt the breeze or tasted such delicious food. As her house arrest finally ended, she stepped out of her house nervously and felt rain come down, shocking her. But beneath the liquid falling, two figures came running to her, and she realized them instantly.

"Sakura!" Naruto cried, flinging his arms around her. Sakura embraced him, shaking with so much happiness as he parted and smashed his forehead agaisnt hers, a gentle look in his face. Kakashi came, ruffling her hair as they went inside her house, which was empty and bare from all the furniture. Sakura had been reluctant at first to reveal her bedroom, but as she slowly pushed the wooden door, she felt Naruto and Kakashi gasp with awe.

Nearly every single space in Sakura's bedroom was covered with drawings, even the wall beneath them had beautiful patterns and drawings and paintings. It was a beautiful place, the one place where she found clousure with Sai. Kakashi immediatly recognized the paitings and narrowed his eyes, wondering what exactly had been going on around lately. Sakura soon explained to them that ANBU guarded her day and night and that a pale boy with black hair came once, and she found friendship with him.

"Sai, that's his name" Sakura said, smiling gently as she traced the paintings with her fingers. Naruto's gaze was fixed of a painting of a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes, leading an army behind him with the Hokage hat. Sakura chuckled softly as she nudged Naruto's shoulder, bringing him back to life.

"I asked Sai to do this painting. For you" Sakura said gently. Naruto turned around, his eyes wide and full of salty tears as he hugged her, his warmth spreading through her body as she placed a shaky hand over his back. She had missed him so much, so much that the vacancy in her heart had grown wider and wider, until it threatened to put a permanent hole in her heart, a permanent scar.

This moment would be perfect if only Sasuke was here, she thought as she broke Naruto's embrace, wiping his tears softly with her thumb. Naruto felt an acheing feeling spread through his chest as they exited the house a few minutes later when the rain had stopped and the sun came out. From then on, Naruto knew, he knew that he had to protect the remains of his family, he knew he had to protect Sakura and Kakashi with all his will power and drag Sasuke back to the village. He had to, it was his duty and nobody else's.

"Your safe now Sakura" Naruto whispered. Sakura could only manage a weak smile as she ate hungrily, feeling the empty hole in her stomach slowly be filled. Kakashi had asked Sakura numerous questions abou the conditions she lived in, and she'd grow so still that Naruto was so afraid her spirit had dissappeared, before smiling at their sensei.

"It's okay Kakashi-sensei, it wasn't too bad" Sakura said, smiling. But it was bad, it was the worst treatment anybody could possibly receive. It was the silence, the fact that nobody came except for Sai and the fact that she could not be feed for six days straight. Yet it was the silence that scared her, the loneliness had crept up to her until she thought she was finally going to go crazy if Sai hadn't walked inside her room, making her feel so relieved and so human in the past six days she could cry.

After the meal, Kakashi had said he needed to have a small conversation with Tsunade, leaving Sakura in the care of a now happy Naruto, who seemed to go back to his usual self. Always smiling and laughing even at the most drastic moments, Sakura thought as she strolled along the streets with a happy Naruto, ignoring the curious stares of fright and fear from the other civillians. Sakura was so happy to be outside again, where she could feel the cool air in her skin and hear the laughter, feel the warmth and share the happiness of excited little boys and girls. It was such a relief to her, and as she smiled at Naruto's cheesy jokes and enjoying the warm afternoon, Sakura knew it would've been a perfect moment if only Sasuke was there.

No.

Sakura could not think of Sasuke anymore. She had spent far too much thinking about him. He had left the village and betrayed it, and that I cannot forgive, Sakura thought determindly as she gazed at the beautiful sky on the Hokage mountain with Naruto next to her. Tomorrow I will be a new Haruno Sakura, no more tears, no more getting into trouble and finding myself in the interrogation ward.

It was time to take control of her life. And control she did.

* * *

"Can you repeat that again, please?" Tsunade asked, her voice a mixture of shock and surprise. Sakura gritted her teeth, feeling annoyed that the Hokage was obviously taunting her. Shizune flipped through the files, until she paused and took out a thick document and handed it over to Tsunade who flicked through the pages until a picture of Sakura appeared with intel underneath. Sakura stared at her photograph, wondering when it was took and clenched her fist. Guess she'd have to be extra-careful of the people around her.

"Please assign me on a mission" Sakura replied, desperation in her voice. Tsunade tilted her head sideways, the sake bottle in her fingers as she took a sip and placed it back on the wooden table, standing up making the chair screech. Oh, heres another speech, Sakura thought dryly as she braced herself, clenching her jaw with annoyance. Tsunade fingered her file, before placing every paper across the table and slamming her fist agaisnt the table.

"You have been in interrogation endless times, the asylum ward and you've been house arrested with ANBU around your house! What makes you think I'll give you a mission, let alone a D-Rank?" Tsunade hollered, her voice clear. Sakura closed her eyes and her body trembled, before she collapsed on the floor and sobbed.

"Look, I made mistakes but please! I want to mend back my life again" Sakura said, sobbing. Tsunade held her breath, taking a step back before looking away and biting her lip. Crying girls was always her weakness, Tsunade thought as she sighed, sitting back down on the chair as she stacked the papers, her pen poised as she clenched her jaw. Sakura stood up, wiping the tears with her arms and expected a no, expecting that she's never going on missions, that she's always going to go to interrogation, that-

"I will assign you to an escort mission to Kirigakure...with Neji" Tsunade finished, smirking when she saw the crestfallen face of Sakura. The memory of Neji being scared of her, stepping back and the rain thrashing down violently made her want to vomit and curl up in a ball. No, she thought gripping her fist as she gave a sharp bow and exited the room, just get on with it and ignore it.

The mission was easy. Escort a young boy back to Kirigakure in one piece, so he could reunite with his family. Family, a foreign word on Sakura's lips, it was something she'd never experienced, or she would in the future. Because her family had broken apart, Sasuke had left, Naruto drifted away and Kakashi was sent on more missions ever since he decided to re-join ANBU. It hurt her alot when he had announced he'd be joining ANBU again, because ANBU had tortured her and Naruto. But it was for the best, because Kakashi was the best tracker in Konoha (not for long though, potential ninjas such as Shino and Kiba were progressing drasticlly) with his summoning dogs. Tomorrow she'd meet with Neji and the client, and they'd leave the village to head for Kirigakure, which was an extremely long escort mission.

The sky turned a pale gold, tinged with pink and blue as the clouds drifted away, revealing the sun's rays to illuminate the beautiful village, casting shadow and light. The sky was so beautiful, it made Sakura pause and stare at it, and it was a perfect moment-except she was alone, without Sasuke, Kakashi or even Naruto. The thought of Naruto's name made her tense, she'd hardly seen him over the past weeks, which had worried her to no end. Without even thinking, her feet moved to the direction towards the village gates, panting as her arms swayed by her side, the cool air drifting past her hair. She was desperate now, desperate for something and she stopped, staring at the two faded silhouettes melt into the background and eventually dissappear.

Sakura released a cry and collapsed on the rough ground, ignoring the stares of the guards. She had missed her chance to say goodbye to Naruto, and that chance will never appear again in the next few years or even more. Her body trembled, how was she going to survive living without her optimistic comrade scared her, and the loneliness crept up to her until she eventually sobbed. The dirt and rocks grinded into her knees, making the flesh tear open and blood trickle down and fill the two small holes beneath her knees. But as two shadows stretched over her, Sakura held her breath, praying that she won't be dissapointed.

"Sakura?" Naruto breathed, his eyes wide. Sakura spun around and embraced him in a tight hug, pressing her forehead agaisnt his shoulder as she gripped his shirt, twisting it. Behind, Jiraiya stood with Tsunade, eyes wide as they countinued to stare at the scene. Naruto gently placed his hands around her, before attacking her with a fierce hug making her laugh shakily as she gripped the orange cloth, her eyes brimmed with tears as she parted, clashing her forehead agaisnt his with soft, green eyes. Naruto held her wrist, a determined look in his eyes as he grinned foolishly, releasing his grip to scratch his hair and punch his fist in the air.

"I'll come back Sakura-chan, and I'll bring back Sasuke-teme!" Naruto hollered, his voice proud and arrogant. Sakura smiled, feeling her spirits rise as she punched his shoulder playfully and released a sound of laughter-something she hadn't heard for a long, long time. A small smile graced Tsunade's lips as she whispered in Jiraiya's ear, making him nod and cross his shoulders, a gentle smile on his face.

"No, we'll bring him back. Promise?" Sakura asked, sticking her pinky out. Naruto's face softened and he grabbed the pinky with his own, raising it to the air as a huge smile was plastered on his face. It pained Sakura she would never see that smile for a long time, and she cherished the small moments and wrapped it up, locking it away in her dark heart. Get over the past and live for today, Sakura thought determindly. She had to move on, or else she'll be stuck in the asylum ward for the next two generations, slowly losing her sanity as the demon would've probably taken control over her and ripped everybodies hearts who dared hurt his fragile vessel.

"Promise of a lifetime, Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled. Soon, Jiraiya and Naruto walked away for the second time, leaving Tsunade and Sakura stand beside together as they stared at the two figures slowly dissappear into the scenary, making the cool breeze whistle by gently as Tsunade placed a hesitant hand on Sakura's shoulder. She tensed, before relaxing and smiling sadly as she stared at the spot where Naruto had been. Tsunade eyed the girl, weighing the similarities between her and Sakura. They were alike, both protected by teammates, both powerful beings and deadly opponents. Yet they were so different, Tsunade being loud and giggly (only rare times did she truly stay sober) and Sakura, quiet and secretive, never letting anybody know except her that she held the Yin seal and an eye technique that was so rare, some people believed it never even existed in the first place. Tsunade wondered what made the young female show her incredible talents, Sakura was a special ninja, a smart, rare ninja that could only be born every a billion years, because she was strong and silent, yet her mind was restless and loud.

"Are you sure Jiraiya-sama will take care of Naruto?" Sakura asked in a small whisper, twisting the cloth of her shirt. Tsunade was startled, she had never walked past a person who had doubted one of the great Sannin. She sighed, staring at the beautiful sky and gave a blissful smile at the feel of the cool, damp air and the lingering scent of moss and grass-it was so peaceful here, so quiet and calm.

"Knowing last time, Jiraiya will never let Naruto out of his sight" Tsunade said warmly, making Sakura feel comforted and relaxed by the idea. She was rather reluctant on leaving Naruto with a man who had arrived in late to save herself, Sasuke and Naruto from Kisame and Itachi. She was so scared, because she knew that Akatsuki were planning to grab the Kyuubi from Naruto, and he had nearly died because of that. Sure Naruto was powerful, combining his chakra and the Kyuubi's chakra was impressive, but Itachi was in a league of his own, being an ANBU captain at the age of thirteen. Thirteen!

Sakura knew all this information via the tailed beast within her who claimed to know everything that was happening in the world. His famous quote 'I know all and I see all' always made Sakura edgy. She had underestimated the power of the demon inside of her, yet she never wanted to know it's real purpose and strengths, afraid of the answer. Sakura knew one day she'd have to tell Tsunade, yet they'd question where she got the intel and it would be interrogation all over again. It was a relief that the demon could hide himself when Ino's father came in to wander around her mind, she really didn't want him to die. Ino would never forgive her.

Tsunade spun around and walked away, leaving Sakura to stare at the dirty path ahead of her. It was hard, not seeing both of her comrades in a long, long time yet she knew deep inside, that maybe one day her and Tsunade would be at peace, and that she wasn't really the Child of Darkness the demon had said, and that Neji would never be scared of her. The thought of Neji made her think about her mission, and she was glad she had a distraction. She sighed, turning around and walked off, hands dug inside her pockets as she gave the gates one last glance before breaking into a run, heading to the archives.

* * *

The archives was a place where she could think and read, and as Sakura stepped inside the building that smelt strongly of dust and green tea, she exhaled the scent and gave out a blissful sigh. Nobody gave her a second look as she headed deeper within the archives, her hands trailing over the scrolls as she collected it, piling it in her arms. Naruto would have a shock when he came back, Sakura thought with a playful smile in her lips, he'd be so proud if I become stronger and more controlled. A silver shimmer captured her attention, Sakura looked around before walking down the shelves where older, dustier and abondened scrolls lay, their paper yellow and the writing old and smeared. The shimmer belonged to a lone scroll, leaning agaisnt the wooden surface with a silver clasp around it hanging loosely for protection. Sakura gently placed the scroll in her hands, wiping the dust away before sitting down on the floor and pushing the other scrolls away, her attention grabbed by the old scroll in her hands.

...This scroll has been in this village for generations now. You can tell by it's different handwriting, yet it's been abondened and left alone to collect dust...

Sakura wondered how the demon thought of that answer when he hadn't even seen the writing, but brushed away the thought as she carefully unhooked the clasp and spread the scroll on the ground, it's black handwriting barely readible as Sakura tried to read it, to no avail. But one word had caught her attention, just one, and that one word had sent a shiver up her spine and she dropped the scroll from her fingers, until it landed on the floor with a soft thud.

...How nice, they have a scroll about me...

Sakura trembled and grabbed the scroll, determined on reading the contents so maybe she could understand the demon within her more. Ten Tails, that word could make anybody step away with fear. Yet the monster had been forgotten, faded away into the myths and legends and left to collect dust and ash, history and past swirling around it. Too bad the demon was still alive, and within her nonetheless. The writing became urgent now, more messy as if it had been written in a hurry and as Sakura traced her fingers underneath the words, eager on what it had to say next, a shadow stretched over her and a hand grabbed the scroll. Sakura stood up, shocked and surprised as the Jounin hurriedly spun around and went deeper inside the corridor, until he reached the door guarded by ninjas and entered it.

What the hell? Sakura thought, a frown on her face. What had they not want her to see? What was so special, so important that not even a person like me could know? Thoughts flickered through her mind, and as Sakura stood there dumbstruck, she sighed and knelt down to collect the scrolls. It was tempting really, curiosity got the better of her but if she wanted to get one Tsunade's good side, Sakura figured it would be best to avoid trouble as possible. Slowly, as the hours passed and the people exited the archives, Sakura went back home with the scrolls in her arms, content on doing some serious reading and researching even though it was unhealthy. She was intrigued by Senjutsu, in one of the scrolls it had said that whoever mastered the art of Senjutsu could go to Sage mode. Sakura figured that she had to learn this, if she wanted to control the demon she had to be powerful and dominant, the beast inside of her was ghastly, and had an appearance that matched with his horried personality.

Her house was bare and empty, except for the small table on Sakura's bedroom and the paintings on the wall. She sat down, cross-legged and began to stack the scrolls neatly into a pile, reaching out to grab the first scroll to do some reading. She enjoyed the peace and quiet, she enjoyed reading and watching the sun set making beautiful colours appear on the sky, for Sakura she had always enjoyed little moments like these, but the passion in her heart had made her attention strictly focus on the scroll in her hands. A harsh breeze came past, making the window open with a bang and Sakura jumped, raised her head and realized that the sky was dark now, full of shining stars and a soft wind passing by. She stood up and stretched her tense muscles, wondering how long she had spent reading and reading and remembered the mission she was assigned to tomorrow, and quickly packed her stuff hastily. Spare clothes, kunais and her beloved axe and red cape were placed aside, and as Sakura lay down on the floor-for her bed and everything she owned apart from her kunais and weapons and clothes-had been tossed aside. Her eyes dropped down instantly, and that night she dreamt of long rolling hills, the sound of laughter and Sasuke walking in front of her, turning around slowly with a smirk.

Hurry up Naruto, Sakura-he said.

(Memories, memories, memories, memories, memories-

Bittersweet memories that will never, ever, ever happen-

Again)

...No more nightmares, Izanagi...

* * *

"Haruno-san"

Sakura jumped, startled by Neji's voice and turned around to see an expressionless Hyuuga, his subtle coloured clothing fitting in perfectly with Konoha's beautiful atmosphere. Sakura had to admit, she was rather nervous on going to a mission with Neji around and had almost hesitated on going until the demon's words had finally annoyed her, and she gave in-exasperated and annoyed. She had to endure and get over with it, so what if she was forced to go on a mission with Neji Hyuuga? If it can earn Tsunade's trust back, Sakura would gladly do anything that can make her avoid trouble and earn the respect she craved for.

The light streamed in from the clouds as an awkward silence fell in the air. Neji leaned agaisnt the gates, his silver eyes taking sneaky glances at Sakura who was busy strapping the giant axe around her. Neji didn't like big weapons, he was never the showy type, he preferred quick movements rather than making a grand entrance. But of course, that never applied to Team 7 who always makes a grand entrance, Neji thought dryly, his nose wrinkling. He had been surprised the Hokage had allowed Sakura to go on a mission, considering that she had been in an asylum ward and an interrogation ward way more times that a normal person and he could still remember Tsunade's command on him going on an escort mission to Kirigakure. She had been blunt and sober, the sake bottle gone from her table and her face serious and still.

Soft footsteps filled the air, Sakura turned around to see a little boy with dark auburn hair and wide golden eyes with puffy cheeks and a blue bag slung around his shoulder. He smiled shyly at Sakura, who crouched low and smiled gently at the young boy who blushed at the sudden physical contact as she ruffled his hair. Neji was shocked, he had never knew the girl could be so gentle towards kids. The last time he had heard of her, she had beaten up ANBU single-handedly with her fists, and it impressed him so much that Neji realized he must have underestimated her strength. Never judge people, Neji-Hiashi's words came to him, and he remembered the stern look on the leader's face as he brushed past him with Hanabi and Hinata trailing behind him.

"So, your the little boy who wants to go back to Kirigakure?" Sakura said gently, bringing Neji back to earth. The young boy nodded feverishly, making Sakura laugh as she stood up and dusted her pants, glancing at Neji who nodded at her. Sakura watched as the bright rays of the sun streamed in and gave a little sigh, a peaceful smile at her face. It intrigued Neji that this was the same person who had killed her enemy during the chuunin exams and had beaten up ANBU-here she was, smiling without a care in a world.

It scared him. He was going on a week long journey with a possible homocidal-maniac.

Sakura noticed the dis-pleasure on Neji's face at the sight of her and tensed, feeling silly and stupid and took a step back, glancing nervously at him. The young boy approached Neji, who raised a brow when he tugged on the hem of his beige shirt, smiling widely. He relaxed immediatly. How stupid of him to think a young boy like him could possibly harm him? Neji sighed and placed an awkward hand over his shoulder, which made the young boy grin widely.

"I'm Satori!" he yelled with such enthusiasm. Neji smirked at his bright mood and glanced at Sakura, who had a gentle look in her face that quickly vanished when she saw him stare at her, indicating for them to get a move on. She murmered something under her breath and crouched low, offering Satori a ride on her back in which he eagerly climbed on her back, making her fall forwards. But Neji was quick, he appeared in front of Sakura with his hands on her shoulders, pushing her upright. Satori murmured an apology, looking sheepish and emmbarrased at his childish antics.

"Thank you" Sakura whispered, shocked about Neji's kindness. It had shocked him as well, he wondered what sort of motivation had made him leap up to save Sakura's fall on the dirty path. An image of Naruto speed past his mind and he scoffed. Of course, that was it, he thought dryly. Naruto would never bring himself to forgive him if he let Sakura fall forwards. Neji was rather intrigued by Team 7's bond, it seemed that everything envolved around them. The war had happened not only because Suna wanted to invade Konoha (which failed misreably) but also that Orochimaru's (who had allied with Suna) part of the bargain that he was to capture Sasuke. In which he succeeded because the brat had willingly left, leaving a crazy Haruno and a misreable Uzumaki. How incredibly selfish, Neji thought as he clenched his jaw.

"Let's go. We can't waste any more time" Neji said firmly. Sakura nodded and trailed after him, determined to ace the mission and hopefully be trusted by Tsunade, who was the only one who truly knew she held the Yin seal. There was something about the new Hokage Sakura found extremely interesting, she felt as if she was the person she would tell her darkest secret to. She once believed that she could trust Sarutobi-sama her secret, but had hesitated at the demon's threat on ripping her insides. But even the demon had taken a liken to the new Hokage, and was rather fine with the idea of telling Tsunade that she held a powerful demon within her. She would expect fainting, the demon expected fright.

...Better not make a mistake, foolish girl...

Sakura scowled and held Satori closer to her back, the axe strapped to her chest as she tried to leap on the branches, only to pause for breath. Neji, noticing her great discomfort had realized she had been weighed down because of the heavy axe and the boy and gently took the axe, swinging it around him and trying his best not to show how shocked he was at the great weight. She had travelled for two whole hours with a heavy axe and an equally heavy boy? Neji thought, wondering how strong the young ninja truly was. Sakura shot him a grateful look and they resumed running past the trees, often pausing because Satori wanted to drink some water or eat.

Neji admitted that Sakura was not what he had expected. The cold, unapproachable and crazy Haruno he once knew vanished without leaving a trace, leaving a kind yet stern Sakura who always seemed to be so happy around children. Yet he saw the pain in her eyes, the loneliness and the scared child full of questions and tears. He had seen what Sasuke had damaged, he had seen what he strived to protect-he had seen the true her. Fragile and soft, like a small delicate flower that would wither and die if held to tightly. In a way he pitied her, being left alone with Naruto going with Jiraiya and Sasuke off with Orochimaru-he could feel the loneliness and the burden in her heart.

"Hyuuga-san...I think we should rest, we've been travelling for eight hours now" Sakura said, between pants as the sleeping Satori nuzzled his face deeper inside her shoulder. He had lost track of time, how pathetic. Neji nodded wordlessly, setting up camp quickly in a forest district and quickly making a fire as he watched Sakura place Satori in a sleeping bag, the blanket wrapped around him. His even breathing relaxed the two ninjas, who sat in front of eachother, silent and unmoving. The sky turned dark and Sakura found herself taking the first night watch as she perched on the tree branch, swinging the kunai in her fingers.

...Call me something, I've already named you Izanagi...

His voice alone made Sakura jump, more awake and alive. She scowled at her stupid nickname but at least she wasn't being compared to a Sun goddess. But she took the demon's idea seriously, since she had nothing better to do and it didn't seem like there was going to be an ambush for the next three hours she was on guard. The wind whistled by, making her shiver as she placed the kunai back inside her pouch and leaned agaisnt the tree trunk, her eyes staring at the beautiful stars. Mountains, large majestic mountains, Sakura thought as she stared at the mountains, bare visible because of the darkness. It was so quiet and peaceful at night, if you listened hard enough you could hear the even breathing of Neji and Satori, the way the leaves rustle when the wind passes by and the way the water rippled gently when a leaf would slowly fall down. But her thoughts drifted back to Neji, and she found herself staring at his sleeping form through her thick lashes.

Sasuke and Neji were so alike, both from proud and noble clans. But Sasuke was sharp and dark with his black clothes and dark hair while Neji was more subtle with his beige clothes and pale brown hair that reached to his back. And there was a striking difference between them. Sasuke had left the village, Neji didn't look like he didn't want to leave the village. Despair and depression swallowed her whole and the twists in her heart tightened until she couldn't breath and clutched her chest for oxygen.

...Tell me Izanagi, why do you suffer the most?...

Sakura's eyes widened and the twists on her chest vanished immediatly. Her blood ran cold, what if the beast was controlling her? How much did she truly know about him? She tried to answer the questions but could not find a perfect answer. Sakura closed her eyes and breathed heavily, the grip on her chest loose until her hands fell to both of her sides as she slowly tilted her head to the side, staring at the beautiful, shining moon. A moon where the beast was supposed to be locked up in, not inside of her.

...It seems that my knowledge is slowly tangling with yours...

She clenched her fist and held it in her lap, her left leg dangling as it swayed side by side. She knew the demon could give her so much intel, so much knowledge that it seemed to be in the borders to the immpossible of knowing. She could find out the real reason why Akatsuki was after the tailed beasts, she could and she only needed to ask. Yet she was so scared of the answer, so scared of telling anybody, so scared that it made her sick to find out she was such a coward. But risk losing the Hokage's favour because she had a demon within her was pricey, especially when she was working to gain her trust. She realized she'd tell Tsunade everything after she gained her trust, and that was a promise she intended to keep.

I shall call you Akai tsuki, after the red moon within your sanctuary, Sakura thought as she leapt down from the tree. The beast roared with laughter, and an image of the red moon flashed through her mind. Sakura shivered and stood over Neji, before crouching low and gently shaking him in the shoulder. He woke up instantly, he raised his hand up to rub his left eye as he stood up, murmuring a quiet thank you before leaping to the same spot where Sakura had taken watch.

It was hard at first, sleeping while a person looked over you. She could practiclly feel Neji's silver eyes glaring holes at her back, and it made her feel slightly uncomfortable. Satori was curled up beside her, his tiny forehead agaisnt his back and Sakura could feel his even breathing fan her skin. It was a soothing sound, and it made her gently fall asleep as she relaxed, feeling the cool breeze and the sound of rippled water fill her senses as she slept.

Neji stared at her with interest. He hardly knew the girl, but he felt his curiosity flare when the memories of her fighting her opponent during the chuunin exams had left him impressed. Her fight with Ino was controlled, she looked like she knew what she was doing. But her fight during the last phase of the chuunin exams was not her, he could still remember his minor wounds being treated at the sidelines as he watched with interest as the fight developed. He remembered the way that Sand ninja-Gaara, had stared at her with delight, his expression sick as a sadistic smile appeared in his pallid features. He decided that she was attracting the wrong kind of attention, and he wondered what kind of attention he had been drawn to her and whether it was right or wrong.

But the Sakura he saw, the Sakura sleeping with Satori beside her was not the same Sakura during the chuunin exams. She had a peaceful auro around her that could change into a deadly one, until she turned physco and started to kill everybody that went in her way. Neji shuddered at that idea, but thought that it was immpossible it could happen again. Tsunade would rather die than give a crazy ninja an escort mission, she might've trusted the Haruno. Or, Neji thought, Sakura did some serious begging. He considered the two options and in the end, sighed angrily as he realized what he was doing. Was he really becoming nosy? he thought with despair. The leaves rustled as if they were replying.

Yes, they said.

* * *

Sakura watched as Neji blinked open his eyes, and gave a sound of laughter at the same of his unruly bed hair. He scowled at her, straightening his hair and trying his best to hide his surprise. A laughing Haruno was something so rare it hardly existed, he thought dryly as he checked his bag to make sure everything was there. Sakura's face softened as she chuckled, putting on the red cloak around her bare shoulders as she gave Satori a gentle shake. The weather had changed drasticlly, from being sunny and warm to a cold, grey and bleak morning. It was a good thing Neji packed up his white cloak, because he really didn't want to be soaking wet and have a nagging cold at the end.

Satori yawned, rubbing his bleary eyes before stretching his tense muscles. Sakura took out a blanket from her bag and wrapped it around Satori, pulling him to her back. But before she could even hold him in case he slipped, Neji took the child away from her and placed it on his back, giving her a blank expression. She was shocked, she hadn't known the Hyuuga for a while but had heard he had been considerete lately ever since Naruto had beaten the sense out of him. It warmed her heart that her fellow comrade could do such a thing.

"I'll carry him today" Neji said. He ignored the discomfort of having a child at his back as he watched Sakura took one last check that everything was sorted, before swinging his and her bag over her shoulders with the large axe on her back. Satori played with his hair on their journey, much to Neji's great displeasure. He had also tried to untie the Konoha headband protector, only to fail and to be scolded by Sakura, who chuckled at his antics. Sakura wondered what Neji was like as a child, but seeing the maturity and authority around the Hyuuga made it hard for her to imagine. She had never seen him as a child, she was always busy playing with Naruto or getting bullied. When they were young, Sakura had established that clan children were a world away from her and Naruto's reality. They were unapproachable to dirty scumbags like them, but how they had changed. Naruto had changed the two cold hearts of clan members-Sasuke and Neji-to a heart that could feel.

Neji re-arranged Satori's place on his back, earning a muffled annoyed groan from the little boy. Sakura smiled and ruffled Satori's hair, smiling when he popped his head to scowl at her with passion. It had only been one day, Neji thought, and the child and Haruno were as close as siblings. He could remember with a smirk when Sakura had forced Satori to eat his fish, claiming that it would be a waste. It was quite funny actually, to see a Sakura as a mother-figure to Satori who seemed quite pre-occupied on playing his hair. They were exiting the borders of the Land of Fire now, and were heading up North when Neji noticed the faint rustle of leaves from the corner. He saw Sakura tense, giving Neji a look before narrowing her eyes until it turned a sapphire blue. His eyes widened with awe and interest as Sakura scanned the place quickly, until her eyes turned a vivid green and she turned around to meet his gaze.

"Twelve thugs. None of them are ninjas" Sakura said, slowly pumping chakra on her fist. Satori gasped with amazement at the sight and grinned, his eyes wide with awe and amazement. Neji sighed, knowing where the conversation was going to lead on to and before he could grab the axe and their bags from Sakura, place Satori on her back and send Sakura away to safety-Sakura shot him an annoyed stare, the axe on her hands.

"Go Hyuuga. I'll come later" Sakura said firmly, her tone cold and distant. Neji hesitated, before nodding and running inside the forest. The safety of the client was more important, Neji realized as he shook his head with his stupidity. But for Sakura, the importance of aceing the mission and earning Tsunade's trust was in her mind, because if she failed-not only would she bring shame to herself for not completing a simple escort mission, but for Hyuuga Neji as well who was known to be despised by the main branch family of his clan. Once Neji and Satori were out of her sight, Sakura dropped the bags down and gritted her teeth. She realized she didn't even need to use chakra, but because her opponents had weapons, it was a perfect oppurtunity for her to test her ability to fight with the large axe on her hands. Twelve shadows stretched over her, and twelve grown men approached her with rocks and pathetic wooden swords.

"Give me your axe, little girly. I'm sure you can't even use it!" one of them cried, his stinky breath filling the air. Sakura gave him a cold glare, before dissappearing making the men curse under their breath. Guess they didn't see my headband, Sakura thought with a smirk as she appeared behind them, her fist raised as she punched one of them in the skull, earning a satisfying crack before the man fell forwards with a soft thud. She leapt in the air, axe raised as she aimed for the men's neck.

One swift blow appeared and the remaning eleven heads rolled around the floor, blood splattering on the rough ground. Sakura's eyes widened with fear and she took a step back, before grabbing their bags and running inside the forest in a great hurry. She didn't mean to kill them, she just wanted to make them unconsicous and suffer as little pain as possible, so they could wake up later clutching their heads, wondering what truly happened to make them black out. She saw a hunched figure in the corner of her eye and paused, trying to see if it was Neji with Satori on his back. But her vision was clouded with tears, and she felt a sickening jolt in her stomach as she leaned in to vomit, her shoulders shaking violently as she did so.

Sakura felt a soft pat on her back and turned around, her eyes blazing with fear only to meet the gaze of Neji, whose other hand lay on top of Satori's eyes as he stared at the bloodied axe on her hand. Sakura took out a white cloth and sat down, busily scraping off the dried blood and trying to mask her tears and disgust as she scrubbed harder, making her skin go raw and numb as she finished. The axe was clean now, it looked unused-which Sakura preferred than a bloodied axe with dirt plastered on it's shiny blade before she strapped it back on, swinging the bags over her shoulders. Neji took his hand from Satori's eyes, who started to jump up and down on the spot, squeling with excitement.

"What was that in your hands, Sakura-chan?" Satori asked, eyes wide with sparkling interest. Sakura blinked and gave a small chuckle, ruffling his hair as she crouched down to whisper in his ear. He gasped, nodding feverishly before climbing on Neji's back, swinging his legs side by side in a childish manner. Neji gave her a look with a raised brow, a hint of amusement in his face that quickly vanished when he saw the pained expression on her face and decided not to question any further. They began to run through the trees with new energy on getting to Kirigakure without any disturbance. They soon made way to a small town, much to Sakura's relief.

Satori jumped from Neji's back, tugging on his sleeve as he dragged them to a small resturant, grinning excitedly as he pointed at the sweets in the stall. Sakura rolled her eyes and took out a small purse, fishing out change when Neji grabbed her wrist and shook his head. Sakura watched as he paid for their meals with a scowl, promising Neji that she would pay him back one day, that irritated him to no end. Neji would never allow a girl to pay for his meals, it was part of his pride and his Hyuuga arrogance and their traditions-even though Sakura was probably a million times stronger than him.

He remembered the rumours of her being invincible to the Mangekyo Sharingan which was owned by Itachi. He could vividly remember the day they were supposed to retrieve an important scroll, only to find out that Sasuke and Sakura had ditched the mission and gone after Naruto, fought with Itachi and all three of them-including Naruto-passed out with exhaustion and Jiraiya had saved the day. Neji wondered if her eye technique could beat his Byakugan and suddenly thought of the idea of training with her. Ever since the chuunin exams, he had seen less and less of TenTen and Lee. He always wanted an oppurtunity to polish his skills, and as he stared as Sakura and Satori finish their lunch, he decided to ask her to train with him when they go back to Konoha-unless Tsunade was feeling awfully moody and send him to another mission.

Satori gulped down the water, before placing it down on the table and releasing a satisfied sigh, grinning as he thanked Neji for the lunch. The demon's vibrations echoed in her mind and Sakura gritted her teeth, excusing herself hastily before running towards the toilet in a hurry. There she locked herself up in a stall and coughed up blood, violently shaking as the demon slowly stirred within her. What now? Sakura thought angrily as she leaned agaisnt the wall, breathing heavily.

...Weak little star. Did you know you were once a fallen star?...

Sakura gritted her teeth in annoyance. No more fucking fairy tales! she thought angrily, thrashing about in annoyance to show her exasperation. The demon roared, his anger boiling up making her gag and throw up in the toilet. Her fingers trembled as she gripped her chest, trying to calm herself down.

...It was known that a person is sent down from the heavens with either two identities...

Sakura shut her eyes tightly wanting the pain to go away. She wished that the demon could vanish from her, and that she was strong enough to seal it in the sky permanently so it could do no harm to her or the world. Sakura wished so badly it hurt, yet that goal of hers was near to the immpossible, so elusive and so hard to gain. She realized that she had to be strong enough to merge her chakra with his so she could control him. If Naruto could live with his Kyuubi, she could right?

...Either the God of Creation or...

A breif image of Naruto sped past her mind and she gave a small, sad smile. She hoped and prayed that he was okay, even though she doubted Jiraiya's protection, Tsunade's words had comforted her. An image of a red moon flickered past her mind, and her face was on it, dark and shallow with a sadistic smile on her face. Sakura clenched her fist, she was so scared of the other option. Just fairy tales, just myths, just legends, she thought over and over again, trying desperately to comfort herself.

...Or the Destroyer who will reduce everything to nothingness...

Sakura screamed. She punched the wall causing a large crack and stood up, shaking and trembling before slamming the door open and exiting the toilet with a tear stained face. Neji stood up abruptly, worried and concerned because of the sudden pallid look on her. Sakura felt weight less and light headed, everything around her was a blur except for Neji, who ran towards her with his arms outstretched. His voice was far away, but clear and painful memories came rushing back until she screamed in agony.

"SAKURA!" Neji cried.

SAKURA!, Sasuke said.

SAKURA!, Naruto said.

(Memories, memories, memories, memories, memories, memories, memories, memories-

Bitersweet memories that will never come back)

Oh Sasuke! Look what you have done! You said you'd protect her, but your causing her so much pain!

* * *

Ohhh...I'm causing Sakura too much pain. You know that feeling when you look at somebody and they resemble somebody so familiar to you? That's how Sakura feels towards Neji, she keeps on craving for Sasuke, trying to perfect another one using Neji. She can't help it, that's why she was comparing Neji to Sasuke.

Poor, poor Sakura!


	17. Chapter 17

New chapter!

I do NOT own Naruto!

VOILA! ENJOY!

* * *

By the time Sakura woke up, she found herself in a small cabin on a bunkbed with Satori sleeping beneath her and an empty futon on the floor. She yawned and rubbed her bleary eyes, going down the ladder carefully so she won't wake Satori and opened the curtains to reveal the glittering ocean and pale blue skies. Their bags were laid out on top of the cabinet, with her cloak over the windowsill and their shoes on the floor. Sakura sighed, feeling guilty for passing out in front of Neji and leaving him to drag both her and Satori to the docks and pay for their travel fare. It annoyed her to no end how useless she was, and she promised herself to pay for their travel fares on the way back. Sakura gently opened the door and went outside, feeling a chilly breeze come past that made her shiver. The boat swayed, making water splash at it's sides and as Sakura walked down the corridor and went up the stairs, she saw Neji leaning agaisnt the railings and smiled.

Neji turned around, meeting her gaze and gave her a curt nod. Sakura took this as an invitation and went by his side, admiring the beautiful scenary as she gripped the railings and stared at the ocean. Neji was relieved that Sakura had finally woken up, the captain had announced two hours ago that they were near to Kirigakure and Neji truly didn't want to carry two people over his shoulders. Sakura's hair flew past her and she ran her fingers through her messy locks, examining the uneven edge of her hair before tossing it over her shoulder carelessly.

"Sorry for passing out" Sakura said, a hint of guilt in her voice. Neji was startled at her apology but reassured her it was fine and countinued to stare at the scenary, feeling peaceful and calm as a flock of birds came past. He remembered his favour to ask Sakura to train with him, he was genuinely curious about her fine eye technique and wondered if it was any match for his Byakugan. He had heard she was quite invincible agaisnt the Sharingan, and could even go as far as controlling the user. The thought made him shudder, she was such a strange girl, he thought as he took a quick glance of her. Lately, TenTen had been assigned to more missions and was currently working with Anko to sort out Konoha's weapons and Lee was still staying in the hospital, deciding whether he should have the operation or not.

A pang of guilt came to him when he remembered Lee's difficult decision and he wrinkled his nose with disgust at the thought of Gaara. Neji was relieved that he had heard the Sand ninja's demon within him was sealed by Sakura, and that information was only known by Tsunade, Jiraiya and Kakashi-of course, the only reason Neji had known was some clever, clever eavesdropping. Sakura spun around and stretched her muscles, yawning as she tilted her head to the side and gently poked Neji on the shoulder.

"Let's go have some breakfast" she said. Neji nodded and they headed back to the cabin, where they quickly packed up and woke Satori, who yawned and suddenly had a boost of energy when he saw Sakura, awake and alive. They made their way to the small canteen inside the boat and lined up to get their food, which consisted of two riceballs each and a dango. Neji was umimpressed, and promised himself to pay for a proper meal when they arrived at Kirigakure. Sakura drank her tea and gave a satisfied sigh, feeling more awake now because of the delicious food and reached out to get some money when Neji grabbed her wrist.

"It's for free" he said. Sakura eyed him suspiciously but sighed, knowing it was no use to argue with a stubborn Hyuuga and gave him a grateful smile. The mission had cleared her head, and Sakura tried not to remember the previous occasion. The demon can bug me all he wants, she thought as she finished her green tea, but I'll finish the mission for the sake of it. Satori ate some bread, causing crumbs to appear on his cheek and shirt. Sakura scowled playfully and scolded him, wiping the crumbs gently with quick fingers before smoothing his crumpled clothes. Satori grinned at her, thanking her for being such a kind person and hurriedly finished his loaf of bread.

Sakura watched him fondly. She had grown so close to Satori, it was almost disbelieving that the mission was nearly over and her and Neji would have to go back to Konoha. That was the problem with escort missions, sometimes you can never be to sure that you'd build a friendship with the person. The thought of Team 7's last escort mission to Mist came to her, and she sighed sadly. What had happened to those times? she thought wistfully, staring at the empty cup before refilling it.

Neji eyed her closely, curious on what was going around her mind but snapped back his attention to Satori who started to play with the other bunch of kids, exclaiming proudly that he was escorted by two 'awesome' ninjas as he put it. Neji smirked at his definition of him and Sakura and finished his meal, promising himself that he'd ask Sakura to train with him the minute they got home. It had grown boring lately in Konoha, and Neji sometimes found himself asking the Hokage to send him to missions just to kill time. He realized how quiet it had been without Naruto, but pity spread through him when he stared at Sakura with sharp eyes. It must be hard, he thought, being left behind.

He had never knew that feeling of being left behind. Neji always made sure he was at top, and because of that had been Sasuke's rival and Hinata's main intimidation. He was glad that Naruto had beaten the sense into him, he was almost horrified how arrogant he was before and that he sometimes reassured himself he was the best. How he had fallen, he thought, in his mind Team 7 was the best-no matter how you looked at it, they were the best. Sasuke was the last of the Uchihas, possesing an eye technique that he heard could control a demon, Naruto was brave and full of courage, and was currently training with Jiraiya-sama, in a few years Naruto would come back stronger than ever. But his mind drifted to Sakura and he knew that she was in a league of her own. He had yet to know her true powers, and if he did-Neji was quite frightened what the result would be.

"We have landed on Kirigakure. Please make your way, we hope you have had a good time travelling with us" a voice said from the speakers. Satori raced back towards Sakura and Neji, bouncing up and down with excitement on seeing his family again. Sakura felt a pang of envy as she swung the large axe and her bag over her shoulders, she could never understand that feeling. Team 7 was her family, but in Sakura's role she was the one waiting, always waiting for Sasuke and Naruto to appear. Satori held Sakura's hands, not even trying to hide his excitement as he grabbed Neji's wrist and dragged them both with surprising strength into the bustling streets of Kirigakure.

Sakura chuckled and crouched down, ruffling his hair. Satori suddenly became very saddened at the thought of his two new friends leaving him, and he gave Sakura and Neji a fierce hug, nuzzling his head into their shirts. Neji took a step back, startled but patted his head in a comforting manner that made the young boy meet his gaze with excitement.

"Can Sakura-chan kiss me?" Satori asked shyly. Neji's eyes widened, and he glanced at Sakura who gave a laugh and placed a tender kiss on his forehead. A breif image of a photograph of Neji's mother he never knew flew past in his head, and he took a step back with a pained expression on his face. Satori wrapped his arms around her warmly, promising with inspiring passion that he'd come back to Konoha someday. Sakura laughed and hugged him and saw a family walking towards them with a baby in the woman's arms.

Satori's eyes widened and he ran towards his mother, who laughed and crouched down to show his new younger sister. His father, a tall man who bore a striking resemblance to Satori handed Neji a large purse of coins and he thanked him for returning Satori back safe and unharmed. Neji and Sakura watched as they walked away until they vanished through the thick crowds of the busy streets and Sakura sighed, rubbing her stomach. The meal at the boat didn't really satisfy her hunger, it was just a small snack of rice balls and a dango. It wouldn't be enough for the long journey home, she thought as she glanced at the resturants and took out her purse. Neji grabbed her wrist and placed her purse back inside her pocket and smirked.

"I'm paying" he said. Sakura scowled but allowed him to drag her to a ramen shop, where she ate heartily and drank. She gulped down the water and sighed, feeling her empty stomach full and fished out some money which she laid out on the wooden table. She had enough money to go back to Konoha, she thought smiling with satisfaction until she meet the gaze of Neji, who frowned. It was obvious that he knew what she was doing, and shook his head firmly and took out his own purse only to find there was no money left, for the last of it had been paid for their meal. Sakura smirked as she won their silent arguement and gave Neji some of her money for the travel fare.

"I'm paying the travels" she said. Neji nodded silently, it was unheard of that a boy should let a girl pay but in these circumstances why the hell not? Sakura obviously had enough money, and Neji wondered how much he had paid throughout the journey. Next time, he thought, I'm bringing extra money. He wondered if there was going to be a next time on going with Sakura to another mission, and he hoped there would be. The journey had been pleasent and peaceful, Sakura was easy to talk to and mostly they shared a comfortable silence between them. They had agreed to spend a few hours in Kirigakure since the boat was not departing until later, and had busied themselves by passing by stalls and buying small souveniers with Sakura's change. The captain shouted, Sakura and Neji double-checked they had everything before stepping into the boat and being escorted to a clean cabin.

Sakura dumped her bags on the bed and sat on the edge, kicking off her shoes as she headed into the bathroom, leaving Neji to slowly unpack his things. The journey would take around two days, since the boat only stopped in the border of the Land of Fire and him and Sakura would have to countinue the rest of the journey on foot. The thought of sleeping on the rough ground made Neji frown, he hated it when he had rough clothes full of dirt. He also hated it to see Sakura try to sleep comfortably, to no avail. No wonder she takes the first watch, he thought dryly as he took off his shoes. Neji heard the run of the shower and paused, tilting his head to stare at the bathroom door before standing up to open the window and exhaled deeply. The boat slowly sailed, and Neji watched as people waved goodbye and glanced at the green mountains dotted with small houses and forests.

The bathroom door creaked open and out came a fresh Sakura who wore a red shirt and black shorts that Neji thought was her extra clothes. She took off the towel revealing dry pink locks that cascaded down her shoulders and gave out a small sigh, sitting down on the bed.

"The bathroom is all yours" she said simply, putting on her shoes as she unpacked her things. Neji nodded and grabbed his extra clothes and headed for the bathroom, hearing Sakura from the other room busily arrange her things. There was a soft thud and he heard her swear, Neji smirked at the crude language as he stepped out and placed the towel over him as he changed quickly. He was desperate to get some sleep, he was tired and needed to get enough energy for the rest of the day. Travelling never failed to make him weary and tired.

He unlocked the door releasing some steam to find a large bruise on Sakura's forehead as she scowled. He chuckled, earning a glare from the girl who scowled at him as he took out a small medical bag with bandages and approached Sakura. She gave him a scowl but sat down on the bed anyway as he placed a burning liquid on her bruise, before putting a plaster and a bandage. She realized how close he was, and remembered vividly when Sasuke's face had been inches apart from her when he held the boulder, preventing it from crushing her and Naruto. Sakura's hand shook at the memory and placed her hands behind her, giving Neji a reassuring smile at his concerned look.

"Thanks" she said softly, before standing up and walking away from him. Neji stared at her as she exited the cabin and slowly placed his medical supplies back inside the small black bag. He wondered why his hands were shaking. He wondered why his cheeks flushed.

He wondered why his heart paced.

Sakura exhaled sharply, leaning agaisnt the railings as a soft smile graced her lips. But the pain in her chest wouldn't vanish because every time she saw Neji, an image of Sasuke flashed through her mind and those famaliar emotions being confused and hurt would return, filling that hole in her chest once again. The wind whistled past, and she could imagine a red moon and shivered, making the demon roar with laughter.

...Ah, Izanagi...

She wondered why he was calling her such a foolish nickname. She had not missed the demon's words within her, and much to her irritation he had started to talk to her again. But the pain would not go away, and that memory when she had easily let him slip from her fingers came rushing back and she collapsed on the ground. Her shoulders shook as tears fell, grinding her forehead agaisnt the cold railings as she stood up, wiping her tears away hastily.

Sakura wanted to scream her heart out. To pour out her emotions and run away from the pain towards Naruto's arms, to cry her heart up and hug Sasuke. But she was so used to being silent all her life, being so used to bottling her emotions and shoving it away. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned around, her eyes widened when she saw Neji with a glass of water and an emmbarrased face that didn't meet her eyes. Sakura eyed the glass of water and glanced at Neji, whose other hand was stuffed down his pocket.

"Take it already" he said with a faint scowl. Sakura blinked and took the glass of water, realizing this was Neji's strange way of comfort. She smiled and drank it, feeling much better when he stood next to her. Neji wasn't sure what brought him to give her a glass of water, but when he saw her crying and wondered if she was still hurt by Sasuke's actions, he had given her a glass of water which was the only sign of comfort he give. He was not used to showing so much emotions, but the mission had showed more emotions than his stoic appearance.

Neji was excited to go back to Konoha and ask Sakura to train with him. He would be bitterly dissappointed if Tsunade would shove him another mission as well, he was so curious about her eye technique. He had never seen anything like it, her eyes would turn a startling sapphire blue that glittered like the ocean. Neji once remembered seeing it turn a shade darker, and he wondered what that meant. Sakura gulped down the rest of the water and sighed, giving Neji a smile full of gratitude. Sakura shook the ice in the glass before pouring it down on the ocean and watched it gently collide with the boat's side before drowning down under the waves.

"Can I train with you?" Neji blurted, and his hand flew to his mouth. Sakura's eyes widened and she laughed, shaking her head as she played with the glass. Neji was nervous, he did not take rejection well. Instead, much to his surprisement Sakura poked his shoulder, a playful look in her eyes.

"Wait until we go back home" she said in a teasing manner and headed back to the cabin. Neji stared at the spot where she had been, and a smirk slowly appeared on his face as he stared at the scenary. The breeze came past and he released his grip on the railings as he stuffed them down his pockets, looking triumphant as he he picked up the glass from the floor and slowly made his way back to the cabin. He opened the door to find Sakura sitting on the floor, busily sharpening her kunais and polishing her large axe. A breif image of TenTen doing a similair action crossed his mind, and Neji knew that his female teammate would be friends with Sakura instantly.

He sat in front of her, idly examining her kunais with mild interest before placing it down. Sakura hummed, the cloth piece of cloth cleaning the large axe as she swayed her head side by side, making her pink locks brush against her shoulders. She could vividly remember the music when her old team had entered a small club for celebration after their first escort mission. As she countinued to hum, Neji raised a brow as she poured more water agaisnt the blade and wiped it hastily with quick hands.

"Where did you get the axe?" he asked, genuinely curious. Neji had never seen her with an axe except when she suddenly turned up in the chuunin exams with it strapped behind her. Neji always found large weapons rather vulgar, but when Sakura used it she moved with it swiftly, as if she were one with the wind. Sakura caught his gaze, his question hanging in the air as she slowly placed the axe underneath her bed carefully and moved on to the kunais.

"I found it in my basement" Sakura said. She explained the previous owner of her house had been a weapon maker, one of the best and had stored some of his best creations in the safety of his basement. She asked whether Neji wanted to see the other weapons, and without even thinking he nodded his head. He was curious, Neji had recently heard that Sakura had been placed under house arrest and all her furniture had been removed. He thought how smart she was to hide the basement away, especially since ANBU had personally searched her house from top to bottom. It was impressive, Neji thought, he could never underestimate her strength and intellegence now.

Neji heard her intellegence was supposed to rival Shikamaru's, much to his amazement. The Nara kid was the laziest person he had ever meet, but was praised for his smartness anyway. He could vaguely remember when he had outsmarted one of the Sand ninjas during the chuunin exams, and the memory made a small smile flicker in his mouth. He wondered if Sakura could outsmart him, and he hoped not-Neji really did not want his pride to be crushed.

He watched as she finished and stashed it away underneath her bed and stretch her muscles, the top slightly lifting to reveal a black seal. His eyes widened, and he watched her quickly cover her stomach and flash him a smile before standing up and heading inside the bathroom. Sakura closed the door behind her, cursing herself for not concealing the mark and as she did so, she doublechecked in the mirror if she hid her Yin seal. With a satisfied sigh, she twisted the door opened to reveal Neji meditating on the bed, his even breathing filling the silence.

Sakura watched with fascination, staring at his peaceful face. She had never seen anybody meditate, and as she searched for any trace of emotion in his face to no avail, she sighed and lay down on her bed. Within minutes she fell asleep, and Neji snapped out of his pretending stance and softly stood up and stood over her sleeping form, a gentle look in his face. Then he realized what he was doing and took a step back, and exited the cabin as he ran down the corridor.

What the fuck am I doing? Neji thought angrily.

* * *

Neji and Sakura slowly made their way to the canteen for dinner. Neji watched as the sky turned dark and grabbed a plate, placing some food in it before heading to the empty table where Sakura sat chewing with a thoughtful expression. He sat down in front of her and a comfortable silence fell in the air as Sakura ate the food, feeling fresh from her deep sleep. Neji could remember what had happened and scolded himself. Sakura had made him feel so many things, she fascinated him-the way she fought, the way she bleed without a care. He could remember watching her with awe during the chuunin exams as she ran through those vines with incredible speed that even his Byakugan could not follow.

"Neji? Are you okay?" Sakura asked, snapping him away from his thoughts. He nodded and finished the last remains of his dinner, drinking his tea as he watched Sakura wipe her mouth hastily and stand up to put the plates away. But the waitress came by and whisked their plates away, and Sakura slowly sat down as she sighed with satisfaction. She loved travelling by boat, she loved it when she woke up and the first thing she saw was a sparkling ocean. Sakura imagined herself sailing on a boat with an amused look, and decided it won't suit her anyways.

"Beautiful night" Neji said, indicating towards the sky. Sakura stared at the stars, the demon's words came to her and she looked away. You are a fallen star, he remarked with a serious tone but Sakura could never bring herself to believe such nonesense. Neji watched her glare at her lap and play with the hem of her skirt when soft melodic music filled the air. Sakura turned around to see the empty space of the boat being transformed into a small ballroom and she smiled, standing up to watch the beautiful scene. The boat was stringed with lanters and couples danced on the floor.

Sakura sighed, sipping the green tea before placing it back on the table. She stared at the stars, wincing as they shone bright and glanced at Neji who stared at the couples dance. The music changed into an upbeat rhythm and Sakura tapped her foot to the beat, a smile appearing on her face. She's enjoying herself, Neji thought as he watched her slowly sway to the beat. Neji trailed after her when she leaned agaisnt the railings, her grip on the metal bars loose as she enjoyed the cool breeze fan her warm skin. Neji stood beside her, watching the waves gently splash agaisnt the boat and stared at the moon, shining so brightly.

The music became louder now, ringing in her ears as she tapped her fingers to the beat and sighed, feeling the breeze run through her locks as she spun around. Sakura felt determination wash through her as she glanced at Neji, who stood leaning agaisnt the railings and smiled. The day had been boring ever since Satori had left, and she was determined to add a little spark. Who knows, this might be the last time she goes on a mission with Neji for a long time, which never failed to sadden her. She liked his company and the mission had been succesful so far, so what little fun could harm it?

"Neji, dance with me" Sakura said, grabbing his wrist before he could reply. Neji's eyes widened and he wondered if she was like this with her old genin team. He released her grip, earning a dissappointed glance from Sakura whose face was crestfallen. Neji sighed, running his fingers through his hair-the things the girl made him do, he thought with wonder.

"Please, it won't kill you to have a dance" she said. Neji looked emmbarrased as he looked away, what was he doing? he thought as he allowed her to drag him to the dance floor. Sakura saw his stiff posture and smiled playfully at him, a glint on her eyes. Neji clenched his jaw as he felt her fingers hold his, and he immediatly relaxed under her touch.

"I can't dance" he murmured. Sakura blinked and smiled gently at him, and for the next fifteen minutes Neji learnt how to dance with her guidance. It shocked him that she could move so fluidly, and when they danced at the night under the blanket of stars and finished, an applause rippled through the crowd and he turned a deep scarlet red. The night ended and they headed back to the cabin with a giggling Sakura clinging to his arm, feeling light-headed and dizzy.

Neji unlocked the door and sighed, feeling exhausted. His feet hurt so much he could cry for happiness when he saw his bed and sighed, sitting on the edge as he took off his shoes. He watched as Sakura yawned, absent mindedly playing with her hair as she lay sprawled across her bed, her long legs dangling at the side. She caught his gaze and gave him a lazy smirk, rolling to her side as she murmured her goodnight.

"Goodnight" Neji whispered, before throwing the blankets over his body. He heard the faint rustle of sheets, before he was overcome with exhaustion and slept.

Sakura groaned, her head throbbing as she poked her head from the blankets and saw Neji's awful bedhair and laughed. She threw a pillow at him and his arm shot up, grabbing the pillow as he gave her a deep frown before wiping his bleary eyes. Sakura laughed again, the sound filling the peaceful silence as she swung her legs to the side and stood up. She opened the bathroom door and closed it behind her, and Neji could hear the water slowly coming down and sighed, knowing it was no use to try to go back to sleep.

He could hardly remember yesterday's events, everything was a blur after they had dinner. The shower stopped and the bathroom door opened, revealing Sakura drying her hair with a short towel. The water dripped down and trickled down her collarbone, and she wiped it away hastily and grinned at him. Neji narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"You're a good dancer" she remarked, smirking when she saw his crestfallen face. Memories surfaced through his mind and he groaned with annoyance, ducking under the covers as the memories came now, rushing in quickly. Sakura threw the blanket away, making Neji shiver as he glared at her with his silver eyes. He made his way to the bathroom, ignoring Sakura's laughter. What if she mentions that in the mission report? Neji thought with despair as the hot water rushed down.

He sighed. What was he thinking, emmbarrasing himself by dancing? But Sakura said he was good, but that made him blush with emmbarrasment at the mere thought. He forced himself to forget about it as he changed quickly and brushed his hair, opening the bathroom door to reveal Sakura putting on his large, beige jumper. He scowled at her for raiding his things, but Sakura only grinned at him as they made their way to the canteen. They took a seat in an empty table when they recieved their food, and Neji noticed the stares of the other passengers and gritted his teeth. Just what happened last night? he thought as he sliced the meat and ate it.

"Why are they looking at us?" Neji whispered. Sakura smiled and wiped her mouth with a napkin, and Neji was suddenly scared that she'd say he made a fool out of himself. It was emmbarrasing, he thought and mentally scolded himself for allowing her to make him dance. Sakura drank her bottle of water and placed it on the table, her eyes shining as she countinued to ignore his question. Neji scowled and kicked her leg under the tree, earning a laugh from Sakura as she sighed.

"You were a good dancer, that's why!" Sakura said, playfully kicking his leg. Neji frowned and stared at his meal before sighing and eating. Neji's mouth went dry and he drank his water, he didn't trust Sakura's answer and though he had only known her for a little while, he could tell that she was lying. Sakura blinked at him, knowing her pretense was fruitless and sighed, shrugging her shoulders. In truth she hardly knew why the passengers were staring at her and Neji, her first guess was that they were only staring at thier headbands since they were ninjas.

It seemed Neji was satisfied with the answer he didn't question no further as their meal ended. He watched with curious eyes as Sakura stood up abruptly and made her way towards the captain. She murmured something and the captain nodded, clicking his fingers as straw dummies were placed on the surface. The passengers eyed her with curious eyes as she took off the jumper, tossing it aside to reveal a cropped shirt showing off her muscles. Neji raised a brow as she pulled out bandages and wrapped it around her fists as she caught his gaze and grinned.

Sakura punched fiercely, chakra on her fists as she twisted and turned, doing a roundhouse kick as she twirled in the air and landed on her feet. Neji examined her closely as she punched the dummies with such force strands of straw fell to the floor. Sakura panted, stretching her tense muscles as she moved quicker now, leaping into the air before smashing her fist in the dummy causing it to break easily. Sakura arched her back and landed on the floor, smirking with satisfaction as she saw the awed faces of the passengers. Neji shook his head, he could always count on Sakura being incredibly cocky for her own good. But she was good, extremely good with her fluid actions that it almost looked like she was dancing.

Sweat glistened down her body as the hours passed, making her muscles looking more defined as she sighed, running her fingers through her hair. Sakura did a perfect backspring and threw her kunais at the dummy before leaping in the air and aiming for the dummy's neck. Her first connected with the straw, and it flew past her in a blizzard as a determined expression overcome her face. Neji held his breath, amazed at her fast and quick movements and stood up, approaching her as he did a position.

Sakura grinned and lunged to attack him. Neji reached for a pressure point but Sakura gripped his shoulders and flew in the air, flinging his body across the boat making him fall in the ocean. The passengers gasped when Neji ran in the waves, a smirk on his face as Sakura landed on the water, running through the waves as she leapt in the air, smiling freely as she landed a blow on Neji ribcage. He scowled and landed on the boat's railings with perfect balance as Sakura landed in front of him, doing a roundhouse kick and landing on her hands to do a perfect handstand and aiming for Neji's face with her feet. Neji dodged and landed on the ground, smirking as Sakura scowled and ran to him as a kunai twirled around her fingers.

She leapt in the air, twirling around with her right foot in the air as she landed on the boat, pushing her right leg down that connected with his back. Neji cursed and quickly held her by her shoulders, pushing her away. Sakura smirked and appeared behind him, grabbing his neck and pushing him down on the floor as she held a kunai inches apart from his face. Neji sighed, admitting defeat and she laughed at her success. She picked him up and playfully poked his forehead, sticking a tongue out and she turned around and headed back to the cabin for a long shower. Neji sighed and grabbed his jumper and trailed after her, a smirk on his face.

Neji knew she was holding back because she was afraid of the amount of damage she could cause to the poor boat. Imagine our training back at Konoha, he thought wistfully as he heard the shower being turned on. Neji heard her faint sigh and he took off his shirt, sweat trickling down his body as he wiped the sweat with his shirt. The door opened and out came Sakura wearing a red shirt and blue pants, she smiled at him and ignored his half-naked state. She had seen Naruto and Sasuke taking their shirts off, and thought it was so unfair that she couldn't casually take off her top without men ogling her chest. Neji gave her a curt nod and went inside the bathroom, feeling bliss overcome him as the water went down his body.

Sakura waited, before taking off her red shirt to reveal chest bindings and unwrapped them, sighing with satisfaction as the tightness dissappeared and she stretched her arms, feeling fresh from her shower. The door opened and Neji saw her bare back and slammed the door, blushing as he heard her scramble for her clothes. She knocked on the door, indicating it was okay and he hesitated before opening it again to reveal an emmbarrased Sakura. She murmured an apology and sat down on her bed, watching as Neji mended his wounds.

"Sorry" she said. Neji meet her gaze and nodded, feeling heat radiate from his skin when he remembered her bare back and bowed down his head so she couldn't see his blush. What was wrong with him? he thought as he finished wrapping his wounds with bandages and packed away the medical supplies away. It was so weird and annoying these emotions, he was supposed to be bottling these emotions and shoving them where the sun does not shine but no! A girl with ridicolous coloured hair just had to catch his fascination and interest.

Sakura yawned and lay down on her bed, her chest rising and falling as she rolled on her stomach and shot him a lazy smile with her messy hair in a heap. Neji rolled his eyes and put on his shirt, combing his hair with a small brush before placing it on the cabinet. Sakura lay sprawled in the bed, her bare legs in the air as she stood up and opened the door, glancing at him with a blanket in her hands.

"I'm going out. Want to come?" Sakura asked. Neji hesitated, realizing there was nothing else to do and nodded as he trailed after her. Sakura saw an empty space and spreaded her blanket, before laying down on it and sighing. Neji wrinkled his nose and dragged a chair, sitting down beside Sakura as they stared at the wide ocean. Sakura sighed, staring at the sky as she smiled. A peaceful atmosphere settled and the two shared a comfortable silence as they stared at their beautiful surrondings. She exhaled the scent of the salty sea and sighed, sitting up as she ran her fingers through her hair.

Neji sighed, feeling his worries dissappear like a fire. He had been quite nervous going back home to confront Hiashi ever since the chuunin exams when he had spoken to him, he always made sure never to cross paths with the intimadating man. Neji was frightened of the clan leader, he was so cold and distant and unapproachable and so elusive, it sometimes reminded him of Sakura. But the mission had revealed her true self, the laughing and kind Sakura Sasuke and Naruto knew too well. But Neji saw the pain in her eyes, the unsolved questions and the heavy burden she carried eachday and wished he could never experience something like that.

He was careful never to discuss about her team because it always shattered her mood. Everybody knew she was hurt by the way she carried herself in such a slouched posture with her head down, but when those eyes would light up with fiery determination and so full of life, Neji knew that everybody could be bewitched by her. He remembered after the Sasuke Retrieval mission being dis-charged from the hospital and seeing a crying Sakura in the waiting area and the second time when she had arrived with a badly beaten Naruto from interrogation. It seemed like in the past he always saw her in the hospital, a place where death and blood lingered in the place. A place where Sakura seemed to fit in perfectly.

Sakura closed her eyes, imagining the faces of Sasuke and Naruto and Kakashi. The nightmares had dissappeared, replaced by endless running down corridors until she reached a room where her team was, and they ran away from her. Sakura snapped her eyes open, breathing heavily as she covered her face with her hands, scolding herself for thinking about her team. Remember the past, live for today, Sakura thought. But the pain in her chest increased when she remembered their missions together, the blood, sweat and tears and those beautiful memories they shared together and sobbed. Neji's eyes widened as he watched helplessly having a mental breakdown, her shoulders shaking violently.

"Sasuke..." she whispered. Neji froze, and anger boiled up in his stomach as he found out that Sasuke was the source of her problems. He could hardly imagine the pain of sharing so much memories with a person only to discover they left the next day. Neji heard that they were all orphaned, seeking comfort for eachother and he realized that just made the pain worse and crouched down, patting her back in a comforting way.

She wiped her tears and meet the gaze of Neji, making him hold his breath. Her eyes were as wide as the sun, a vivid green full of tears and her lips dry and slightly open as she smiled brokenly at him, the pained expression on her face evident. Neji was struck by greif and wrapped his arms around her as she rested her head agaisnt his shoulder, murmuring how pathetic she looked. Neji felt her hands fist his shirt and he glanced down at her, shocked at how many personalities she had. First there was the cold and distant, the laughing and kind hearted and the broken, crying Sakura. He could hardly keep track on each attitude, she was like three different people all rolled up in one.

Sakura released a shaky laughter and pulled away from him, looking so frail and pale as she wiped her tears away. Neji ignored the wet patch on his shirt and was taken aback when she suddenly smashed her forehead agaisnt his, and he stared at her beautiful, emerald eyes as she smiled.

"I used to do this with Naruto and Sasuke" she said softly, her shaky hand clutching his as he held his breath, breathless by her actions. He was sinking now, sinking deeper and deeper into the dark abyss of love and adoration. Interest is an innocent thing, but it develops into an unhealthy obssession.

They had reached their destination the next day during an early afternoon. The passengers exited the boat one by one, and as Sakura glanced at Neji as he thanked the captain, he caught her gaze and a small blush covered his cheeks. She blinked and tilted her head to the side in confusion, Neji had been acting weird ever since she had passed out on the boat. Sakura could hardly remember anything but it didn't matter anymore, within maybe six hours of breif stops they'd be back to Konoha.

Neji remembered the memory vividly, and was caught by surprise when Sakura had passed out after she smashed his forehead agaisnt his. He realized she couldn't remember anything and he could only sigh with relief, if she did it would be a very awkward journey back home. It had bugged him, he wondered why she had broken down and cried like that, and why she had gazed at him with her wide, wide eyes.

Sakura leapt through the trees, her hair billowing past her as a determined expression on her face appeared. She wanted to go home quickly so she could have some rest and maybe spar with Neji. She could remember him asking if she could train with him, and she wondered if she should ask Neji if he was still up for it. It would be dissappointing if he didn't, since that meant she'd be assigned another mission for the sake of doing something. Konoha had grown boring without Naruto.

A flash of orange whirled past. Sakura stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide as she started to follow the orange blur. Naruto, she thought with giddy happiness and ignoring Neji's shouts of protest. Her heart throbbed painfully as she ran, desperate to see her best friend. She reached her hand out, eyes wide as the orange blur turned out to be a piece of paper and sobbed, falling on her knees as she shook violently. Tears cascaded down her cheeks as the pain was unbearable now, growing in a drastic pace and rippling across her body as she heard the crunch of leaves.

Sakura wiped her tears away hastily and sighed, trying to calm herself down as she turned around and flashed Neji a smile. He narrowed his eyes and glanced at the orange paper and his face softened, making Sakura know her pretense was fruitless and shook, a hurt and pained face appearing as she walked past him. It was faint, but Neji could hear her sobs and see her fresh tears on the way back. For the rest of the journey, she was silent and pale, looking at him with wide glassy eyes before walking away.

She's changed, he thought as he stared at her form. Her mood swings were always so sudden, so quick and those happy laughters changed into loud sobs, growing louder and louder as more tears rushed down. Sakura was so tired of lying to herself, lying to herself that everything will be okay and that Sasuke was coming back. But the ugly truth was too much to believe, the ugly truth was that Team 7 was no more. Sasuke was gone, Kakashi was busy and Naruto was out in a journey leaving her to sew the pieces back until she bled.

The soil crunched under her breath as she increased her pace, exhaling the lingering scent of moss and grass as she leapt through the branches with Neji trailing behind her. The sun's rays peeked through the thick trees, and it illuminated her face, defining her cheekbones and her tears harshly making her feel exposed. Her eyes felt tired from the tears she wasted, and as she wiped them away hastily, the sun caught her eye and she trembled.

...Broken hearted, foolish child. This is what happens when you get to close...

His words drowned in, filling her heart and mind as it repeated over and over again. She felt like screaming and breaking down, tracking down Naruto and running in his arms. But she ignored the feeling, she ignored the way her knees and hands shook and ignored the way the last pieces of her heart shredded slowly and slowly. I'm a victim of my own sadness, caught up in a dark abyss of pain and hurt, Sakura thought dryly as she closed her eyes breifly.

Neji glance at her and clenched his jaw. She was more messed up then he thought, so broken and easily hurt. He could remember her shocked face when that orange blur turned out to be a paper and could remember vividly her broken smile to assure him. But Neji was already assured that Sakura was insane, broken inside and going through such a hard time with nobody being there for her. He felt anger burn through him, why did her teammates had to leave? Why did Naruto have to leave her when she needed him the most, it was such a selfish, selfish act. Neji sighed, wondering why her problem was getting into him. It was none of his buisness, so why did he care? Why did he comfort her, tell her it was okay?

"I'm sorry" Sakura whispered, cutting through the tense silence. Neji didn't respond, he gave her a small glance before staring in front of him. He vowed not to get close to her, partly because she was a distraction but he was afraid she'd open up to him, telling him the ugly truth that he didn't want to hear. But it pained him because he realized she had nobody else, and their small friendship was the only one she had. The wind came past, making his hair float around him as his feet crunched the soil. A girl with a broken heart, Neji thought dryly, the perfect description for her.

I KILLED HER! Sasuke screamed.

His words came rushing in to her, and she swallowed down a hard sob as she leapt from tree branch to tree branch, feeling lonely and depressed. She was the reason why he had left, the reason why he had cried and ran away, the reason why Naruto had to go away and she had to be left.

She was the downfall of Team 7.

Sakura felt a stream of tears ran down.

And screamed.

* * *

She woke up to find a white ceiling and crisp bedsheets rustling as she moved her hands to touch her face, realizing she was in the familiar atmosphere of Konoha Hospital. Sakura swung her legs to the side to meet the intense gaze of Neji who stared at her blankly, and her heart throbbed wildly agaisnt her chest as she gave out a frustrated sigh and sat down on the edge of the bed, covering her face with her hands. He probably thinks I'm a freak, she thought, that I'm pathetic, weak, fragile-

"Are you okay?" his words were full of soft and gentle emotions that made Sakura froze and meet his gaze, eyes wide.

"You still care" she whispered. Neji's eyes widened, unable to make some sort of response so he just looked away. A tense silence lingered in the air as Sakura walked away from the bed, the long hospital gown billowing around her as she stared at Neji, her eyes wide and full of joy and happiness. She had just messed up a friendship with Neji that was the only thing that kept her sane, she thought as she gently brushed a strand of hair from his face.

Neji shivered at her touch and stared at her. She looked so pale, like a walking, restless soul of a ghost trying to find something, trying to feel something other than pain, sadness and loneliness and fear. He stood up, meeting her gaze and clenched his jaw, his face softened as she gazed at him with her wide, helpless eyes.

No wonder Naruto and Sasuke wanted to protect her.

A fragile flower made of gold with a heart as meek as a lamb. She made him want to protect her, to kill when a kunai pierced through her skin and to scream when she started to bleed and die. Their gaze didn't break, their face inches apart as they stared at eachother. That was the wonderful thing about Sakura, she found a piece of emotion within you and made you feel, made you want to protect her, made you want to wrap your arms around her and never let go.

He could feel her warm breath fan his neck as she leaned her forehead agaisnt his shoulder, gripping his hands.

"Promise you won't leave me" she whispered, so tired of being left behind to rot and die. Her voice was wobbly as she gripped his shirt, twisting it into knots as her knees shook violently. Neji held his breath, grabbing her wrists as he leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"I never will" he murmured.

...First Sasuke and now this Hyuuga? Your heart is truly restless, Izanagi...

Sakura shut her eyes, releasing her tight grip as she snatched her red cloak and wrapped it around her and put on her shoes, grabbing the rest of her garments as she clenched her jaw. This was a mistake, she thought as she stared at Neji's silver eyes, she should have never went to close, never make a friendship with him. Sasuke had left her broken and full of sorrow, Sakura didn't want her hope to be crushed and taste blood in her mouth.

Hope was a bitch. It wrapped you around in a hazy fantasy and suddenly it would drop you, leaving your dreams and feelings to crash for all it cared. Sakura didn't want to feel it anymore, she couldn't trust nobody, she could never learn to love or to be loved. It left her bitterly dissappointed and insane, it left her in the brick of losing her sanity and her only scrap of humanity left in her cold soul. Sasuke had crushed her, Naruto had left her and she could never allow to open up to Neji the way she did to her teammates.

The mission was a mistake, she should never make him think possibilities of their friendship. She had to end it, but it was so addictive and sweet knowing somebody was by your side to catch you when you fall, not just stand by and helplessly watch. Team 7 was something she held dear in her heart, yet it crushed her until she was left bitter and cold and distant. Nothing could save her now, she was broken and she could never allow anybody to get close. Last time she did, she had her heart torn open and blood poured out.

...Your heart is nothing now, it is cold and steel...

"We should give our mission report" Sakura said in a cold voice, not meeting Neji's wide eyes as she turned around and walked down the corridor with her hair flying behind her, leaving a crushed and confused Hyuuga who slowly came to his senses and trailed after her. It confused him to no end how she changed her mood quickly, it was three people all rolled up in one. Neji was sick of keeping in track, sick of putting up with her nonesense, yet he couldn't help himself. She fascinated him, intrigued him and sparked his interest.

She was like a pink streak in his black and white life. Neji stared at the Hokage's wooden door before exhaling sharply, knocking on the rough surface as he heard a rough 'come in'. He twisted the golden door knob and entered Tsunade's office which was littered with paper and empty sake bottles rolling around. Sakura eyed the office with an umimpressed frown, but her eyes narrowed when she saw the Hokage sober. It was a rare sight to see Tsunade not playing cards or drinking, here she was with small round glasses and her hair tidy with a grim expression. Sakura clenched her fist, hoping something wasn't wrong. She suddenly missed the old Tsunade who would get drunk and giggle.

"Mission report" Tsunade said, breaking the breif pause. Neji glanced at Sakura who didn't meet his eyes and sighed, knowing that she wasn't in the mood to do

"We were attacked by twelve thugs, but we reached the dock unharmed and gave Satori to his family safely" Neji said, his voice even as he tossed the payment. Tsunade caught it easily, weighing it in her hands before giving it to Shizune and murmuring something in her ear. Sakura watched with bored interest, waiting to be dismissed as the hospital dress billowed around her bare ankles, making her shiver as she tugged on her red cloak. Tsunade eyed her with interest, the girl fascinated her, such a special type of ninja that hardly came nowadays. She had paired the young girl with the Hyuuga boy because she was interested on the outcome, the girl had opened her heart without even knowing and she wondered if she could do the same to Neji.

Tsunade dismissed them and watched her spin around and open the door, watching her shadow stretch before vanishing and sighed. Neji bowed low before exiting the office, slowly closing the door behind him softly as he ran down to speak to Sakura. He wondered if she still wanted to train with him, and he hoped desperately she still would. Her eye technique was something he had never seen before or ever heard of in his life, and he prided himself on being extremely well-informed.

"Can I still train with you?" Neji asked quietly, making her stop in her tracks as she paused. Sakura was shocked, she didn't expect him to still care about his small favour and could only nod slowly, the plans of never allowing a friendship with a Hyuuga melting down immediatly. Neji nodded with gratitude as they exited the Hokage tower, walking down the street in a comfortable silence as Sakura surveyed the beautiful skyline and sighed.

Neji realized that she was tired and inwardly cursed himself for his stupidity. He would make sure to train with her tomorrow, they had just been back from a long mission and Sakura was just recently dis-charged from the hospital. Neji stared at her hospital dress and sighed, feeling the damp breeze come by as it ran through his brown locks.

"I'll meet you tomorrow, I've got to go" Sakura said, turning around as she flashed Neji a half smile. He nodded, watching her do a couple of handseals before dissappearing in a puff of black smoke before turning to another direction and heading for the Hyuuga compound. Neji smirked as he entered the large doorway, pausing before turning around to stare at the sky.

Strange girl, he thought as he turned around and walked down the corridor.


	18. Chapter 18

New chapter! Hope you enjoy and I do not own Naruto!

The heat was unbearable, but that was to be expected for a Konoha summer.

There was no wind to cool Sakura's warm skin or her nerves, instead it was the harsh glare of the sun that sent sweat trickling down her body and making a small pool on the rough ground. Her clammy hands connected with the ground, earning a gigantic explosion as she leapt to the air with chakra in her fists. Neji dodged the attack easily much to her frustration and grabbed her arm, sending her across the training grounds as she gave out a cry.

Sakura stood up, smiling faintly as she outstretched her hand and a black, long tail came out as she lunged to attack Neji. His eyes widened as the tail grew bigger and bigger, it's rough black skin grazing agaisnt his cheek as it wrapped around his body. Sakura swiped her hand to the side, making the tail fling Neji across the training grounds. He landed on his feet, causing the ground beneath his feet to gently crack as his Byakugan blazed with fiery determination.

Training had gone as he had expected. He had not known Sakura for long like Naruto but could easily make out that she tended to change the way she fought every minute, first it would explosive and loud and showy, the second it would be silent and deadly. He enjoyed the feel of the sun's rays burning his skin and he enjoyed the way his sweat streamed down, it was a sweet feeling of exhilaration and euphoria he loved. But Sakura always seemed to have an endless supply of her chakra, and much to his irritation she still hasn't used her eye technique.

But as a minute or so passed, Neji was extremely pleased when her eye changed to a startling sapphire blue when he landed a blow on her rib cage. She shot him a frightening smile before dissappearing in a flash, Neji tensed, looking around him with narrowed silver eyes as he felt a hand grab fistfuls of his hair and sent him flying to the air. Sakura did a perfect barrel, arching her back as she extended her right leg and hit the side of his body. Neji fell numb, his body flying to the air when she grabbed him just in time.

Neji's pride was ruined. He knew Sakura didn't even use much of her eye technique's secret abilities but she had beaten him in a small amount of time. The blood tasted sweet on his mouth, and the cold water satisfying as she dripped it on his sweaty body. He sighed, smoothing his tangled hair with bruised hands as he felt warm chakra on the deep gash on his back. Neji hissed in pain, but as the seconds wavered on the pain stopped and he realized that his wound was gone.

Sakura however, was a complete mess. Neji prided himself on being the target to the deep wound in her shoulder and the endless amounts of dark bruises around her body, but it made him worry nonetheless for the destruction he made. Sakura caught his gaze and smiled, healing herself quickly before standing up to stretch her tense muscles as she sighed, feeling hungry and in need of a cold shower. The heat caused her top and pants to stick to her body like glue, sweat making damp blotches on her red shirt as she zipped it open and tossed it around her shoulder, revealing a thin black fishnet top with a black bandage around her chest area.

Her muscles were high-lighted by the sun's harsh glare. The sweat made her sculpted muscles on her stomach be more define as she glanced at Neji, her messy hair a pile on top of her head as she extended a hand. Neji took it and stood up as they slowly made their way out of training grounds in a comfortable silence with Sakura glancing at the messy training grounds that had several fallen trees and the ground cracked open to reveal a small, dirty stream. She smiled to herself as she turned around, feeling the heat burn her skin as she sighed.

They reached a small resturant, where Sakura ordered a small meal of dango and barbecue. She reached for her purse, but Neji quickly slammed some of his money on the table to the waitress who eyed them with small interest as she took the advanced payment with a quick bow. Sakura scowled and reluctantly placed her money in her pouch, feeling annoyed that Neji was paying for her meals as he did so during their escort mission with Satori. Neji meet her angry stare and he smirked, his fingers grazing agaisnt the rough surface of the wooden table as he ran his fingers through his messy locks.

"You won the sparr. Only fair that I pay" Neji said, earning a look from Sakura as she sighed, knowing it was no use to argue with a stubborn boy. The waitress came back as she placed the food on their table, in which Sakura thanked her before eating the delicious food with a demon intent. Neji wrinkled his nose, wondering how it was possible to eat so much yet remain perfectly fit and petite. She was such a strange girl, always changing and always confusing him, he sometimes wondered if she did it just to annoy him.

They ate in a comfortable silence minus the clatter of the forks and knives that Neji used. Sakura tore open a thick meaty skin and grabbed a fork, stabbing it before popping it in her mouth as she drank some water. He shook his head as he finished with his meal, feeling full and more energetic as he savoured his newfound strength and drank his water. Neji waited for several minutes before Sakura finished her meal, sighing with satisfaction as she leaned agaisnt the chair with a small smile on her face.

They exited the resturant, enjoying the cool breeze with a full stomach as they walked down the clear path full of running kids and smiling adults, turning right as they walked down a more dirtier street, littering full of abondened dogs and tramps squating in corners. They paused in front of a dark, grey building shadowed by a dark light that Neji thought was her home as she twisted the door knob and they both entered a clean yet empty, cold house that held no photographs or life in it. Sakura examined her surrondings, noting there was some grafitti on the walls as she told Neji to stay. She ran up the stairs, unlocking her bedroom to find it clean and littered with scrolls and breathed, relieved that nobody stole the scrolls before heading downstairs.

Neji wrinkled his nose at the state of her house, feeling humble and pity towards Sakura. He had heard she was an orphan, her mysterious past a blur to her mind and had lived in this house, in this dirty neighbourhood for half of her life. But his heart warmed up a bit when he remembered Sakura and Naruto had been friends ever since they were young, and he watched as she beckoned for him to follow. He trailed after her until they went inside the kitchen, where she opened one of the cupboards to show a narrow, flight of stairs that was lit by a flickering candle.

She had promised him to show the lair of the previous owner of her house that was full of beautiful, hand-crafted weapons she often used after training. Curiosity stirred inside his stomach as Sakura held a candle, showing a long, narrow corridor with a wooden door at the end. He held his breath, expecting some sort of cheap costume ghost to come jumping out but it never happened since Sakura opened the door, lighting the lamps to reveal shelves full of dazzling, savage weapons that made his eyes widen.

He touched a katana gingerly, glancing at Sakura for permission who smiled at him. Neji sat down on the clean floor and traced the pattern of a savage beast that was engraved around the blade with golden diamonds. He shivered, wondering how such a beautiful weapon could cause so much death and blood and placed it back inside the case before putting it on the shelf. Sakura sat down on a small, wooden stool with a pile of rough kunais at the end and her axe, wiping it with a white cloth as she meet his gaze and smiled.

Neji moved on to the next set of weapons and he took a long, black case in which he opened to reveal shiny, kunais with red, leather handles and sharp, pointy edges. He let out a murmur of appreciation as he stroked the cool blade, feeling a shiver run up his spine as his hot finger touched the shiny surface. The row of perfect shiny blades made his eyes widen as he stared at a familiar, faded crest on the bottom of the case in which he stroked gently. It was the Hyuuga crest, a symbol of power and old world elegance and superior, but the question hung thick in the air-what was his family crest doing in a weapon case?

Sakura saw his strong gaze and immediatly placed the white cloth aside as she crouched next to him, gently touching the crest that was outlined with gold fabric as she smiled. The previous owner once made weapons for the noble clans such as the Hyuugas and you could find all sorts of rare crests of now-deceased clans that were once the pinacle of power. Sometimes, Sakura could find the Uchiha symbol usually on the best weapons which were stashed away in a cupboard with a seal she personally did so herself when she promised the previous owner she'd guard his treasures with her life. The axe was the only weapon that didn't have the crest, since the previous owner was kind enough to make an axe specially designed for her as a parting gift for his retirement travels to the Land of Tea, where Sakura hoped he still stayed healthy and strong.

"The previous owner used to make weapons for clans, theres more engravings of yours" Sakura said, cutting through the silence. Neji could only nod as he gently re-arranged the weapons inside the case and asked if she could show him more of the weapons with the Hyuuga symbol. She could only nod as she pulled out several weapons which she laid out in a wooden, long table and motioned for Neji to help her open each black case. Sakura opened the lock and the case opened with a small click, revealing a beautiful katan as she moved on to the next. The more weapons they opened, the bigger the Hyuuga symbol became until there was only one left case to open.

Sakura gestured for Neji to open it and he sighed, opening it gently as a shimmering, shining example of a rare weapon appeared, dazzling his silver eyes. The weapon was a long, thin and elegant blade with a blue dragon engraved on the shiny blade, stitched with deep sapphires and full of rare diamonds encrusted on the handle. The handle itself was made out of pure, solid gold that shimmered agaisnt the candle's flickering gaze as Neji traced it. He personally didn't like it, far too extravagant for his taste, a beautiful sword that held a deadly meaning to it. He could almost imagine Sakura holding it, looking proud and dominant whereas if he held it, he would look foolish.

He held it in the air, the sword heavy in his hands as he examined the rare, finely cut jewels encrusted on the handle with great care. Whoever made this was probably a genius, it looked like it could take years to make a fine weapon like this. The sword gave off a savage beauty auro, filling the air and his senses as he placed it back on the case. He saw a crest but instead of the Hyuuga symbol, it was a small, sapphire blue circle with a single diamond in the middle. Sakura noticed his stare and sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"Sorry, I must've picked up the wrong one" Sakura said quickly, before taking the sword and closing the case as she placed it inside a cupboard that had some rather heavy sealing to it. Neji's brow quirked but he didn't question her motives, the sword probably costed a fortune and it was only commonsense to make sure that not even a scratch would land on it. Yet his curiosity stirred in his stomach. He watched as she returned back and Neji offered to help her return the weapons in which he was told to order alphabeticlly in the shelves. He wondered why she was extremely strict but when one deals with weapons such as this, he could hardly blame her for being stern.

She offered for some tea the minute they exited the small lair and Neji agreed. Though the kitchen was half empty, the cupboards were full of neatly stacked food in grey, shiny tins. Sakura quickly made some green tea in which she laid out on the kitchen counter and Neji thanked her, sipping the green tea as he savoured his favourite taste. It made his body go warm as he sighed, feeling more calmer now that they were in a relaxed atmosphere. He was tired, his muscles ached from the training and his clothes were dirtied with the dust from the lair in which Sakura hastily wiped away with a napkin.

"It's okay" Neji said. Sakura hesitated before nodding slowly as she sipped her green tea as a comfortable silence hung in the air. Over the past few days, Neji noted he and Sakura had grown used to eachother's conpany and silent comfort, in which he was only happy to abide by despite he enjoyed silence, sometimes he craved for some company as well. The girl intrigued him, her past was unknown and could possibly be very valuable information. She was one of the strongest females he had ever fought, and lately he had experienced some of his firsts with her. First loss and first humuliation-when she beat him during a sparr and when she paid for all of their travel fares when he realized that he was broke during their escort mission.

She proved to be a challenge to him, and nonetheless no matter how stubborn Neji could be he enjoyed it. He finished his tea and watched as she collected it and placed it down on the sink, before turning around to smile at Neji.

"Well, I've got to shower, so..." Sakura trailed off, her eyes downcast. Neji nodded before jumping off the stool and heading outside, opening the door before he paused and gave Sakura a last glance. She returned the gaze and smiled at him as she approached him, hanging limply agaisnt the doorframe as she watched him dissappear down the street.

Sakura stepped out of the shower, the towel hanging in her body on the verge of slipping as she clutched it tightly before changing into a new set of clothes which consisted of a black shirt and blue pants. She wanted to be assigned for another mission, even though she only returned back yesterday from her escort mission, Konoha bought back haunting memories to her and the interrogation ward seemed to cast a shadow across her life. Surely Tsunade wouldn't mind and Sakura wouldn't mind being assigned a mission with Neji or another person, the village had grown boring in the absence of her fellow teammates.

She entered her bedroom and neatly placed the scrolls in her bag, ready to give them back to the archives today as she glanced at the photograph of Team 7. Her heart throbbed violently, thrashing amongst the chains she held around it and she stroked the photograph before placing it back on the wooden surface and heading out. It felt rather strange to be walking down the streets of Konoha like she was a normal ninja, some villagers would give her smiles in which she would awkwardly respond to nodding her head. Soon, she reached the archives and entered the place which was full of people around the corners reading scrolls.

Ever since Tsunade had been appointed Hokage, she had doubled the amount of buildings and helped the villagers build their homes. Now the archives was bigger and much more advanced, with the precious scrolls guarded by ninjas and other scrolls neatly stacked into different sections. Sakura was impressed and newfound respect for the Tsunade would always bubble up within her, she had underestimated the woman. If Tsunade could make so much progress and countinue the dream of the Third Hokage whilst drinking sake, Sakura would be perfectly happy to see her drinking all the time.

She approached the reception area where she handed back the scrolls to a yawning man before heading outside, hoping to be assigned to another mission. Sakura knew if she stayed longer in this village, she would lose her mind and the memories would come back, crashing into painful waves that vibrated through her body. She needed some sort of distraction, any mission would bring her concentration to good use. The Hokage tower stretched over her, casting a shadow as she ran up the stairs only to trip due to her eagerness. Sakura waited for the blow, for the rough ground to connect with her face but instead, large hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her upright.

Sakura meet the gaze of the familiar boy she had onced love. She trembled with fear, not believing it for a second that Sasuke was back, that he was back and had returned ages ago when she was away for her mission. But the truth dawned to her and her hopes crashed and burnt immediatly when she realized it wasn't him, but Sai who she had painted her bedroom walls with birds and paintings of her old team. Sakura had painted over those walls a pale jade, not wanting to be reminded of those painful memories when she was house arrested.

"Careful" he said, withdrawing his hands as he walked away with his sketchpad tucked under his arm. Memories flashed through her mind and she wondered if he could still remember her, the girl he used to visit when she was house arrested. Sai paused and turned around, his dark eyes meeting hers as he gave her a fake smile and dissappeared in a cloud of smoke. She held her breath, eyes widening before she slowly shook her head and walked up the stairs. She had never seen him before other than those memories when she was prisoned in her own house, Sai was a ninja so why didn't the other teams ever heard of him before?

Sai had changed, instead of that strange yet kind auro around him was replaced by a cold facade. It reminded her terribly of Sasuke and all those years of her and Naruto trying to melt the ice over his heart. Yet Sakura had faith in Naruto's words, Sasuke left because he thought he had killed her, Orochimaru had taken over his body, traumatising him that he couldn't go back now that he killed his female comrade. Sasuke had been tricked and Sakura hoped the snake bastard would die one day, shred his skin and posion himself in a freak accident.

No matter how much Sakura knew that Naruto left the village for an important reason so that Akatsuki won't hunt him down and destroy Konoha, she felt betrayed that he had left when she needed him the most. But Sakura knew she had a chance to run away with Naruto if she told her secret identity, but her courage would die out like a flame when the demon would snarl and threaten to rip her insides. She was so frightened what Tsunade would say, the demon within her was powerful enough to crush this world and reduce everything to nothingness.

...Ah, but that is your part, your role is the Destroyer. My role is the demon...

Sakura felt a lurch in her stomach and took a step back before breaking into a run as she ducked down a narrow, dark and dirty alleyway where she vomited violently. She felt dizzy and lightheaded as she staggered, taking a step back as her vision was clouded but hot steam and angry tears. Her mind throbbed and she felt her old wounds being ripped open, earning an ear piercing scream as she fell forwards with a soft thud.

It had been long since she visited his dark sanctuary, and Sakura had not missed it one bit.

One crimson eye flared open and a deep howl came from the demon as the red moon countinued to shine. Dark smoke swirled around her as she sat up, watching the demon's gigantic eye stare at hers. Sakura never knew what he looked like, the demon was always hidden away in the shadows and the size of his red eye startled her. If his eye was that big, god only knows how gigantic he truly could be if a harsh light would shine upon it.

Ten tails came sliding in between the dark, thick metal bars that kept him hidden away as one of the tails wrapped around her ankles and dangled her upside down, earning a hiss of dis-appreication from Sakura whoose eyes turned a vicious dark sapphire blue. She did not know the true menance of her eye technique, but she had long ago discovered that she could control the demon and be invincible agaisnt any type of Sharingan that dared look straight in her eyes. The demon let go of her immediatly and crashed to the floor, the sound vibrating through the vast hallway as Sakura rolled down the floor.

"Why me?" her voice was shrill and wobbly as she stood up, her eyes blazing with anger as she meet the gaze of the demon, whoose large eyes stared at her in a mocking fashion. Anger boiled in the pit of her stomach as she raised a shaky fist, her eyes wide with fear and brimmed with tears as she took a step forward. The demon laughed at the sight of her tears and thrashed violently, one of his tails whipping the side of her body causing her to collide with the wall.

Sakura hissed in pain, trying to get on her feet as she swayed to the side, blood dripping from her skull before sliding down her collarbone. She groaned in pain, clutching her head as she crawled towards the demon, hissing in pain as she got on her knees. But her chin was up, her posture was proud and her eyes shone like polished emeralds, a startling flash of colour in the demon's dark sanctuary.

The demon roared with laughter of her display of courage and leaned in, his eye pressing agaisnt the cool bars as he gazed at her with an intense expression. The hairs on Sakura's neck stood up abruptly and she clenched her fist, determined not to waver at the mere sight of his prescene as she stared at his eye.

"I have waited a billion years to find the right vessel, I will not give up on you easily" he said, growling.

She shivered as his cold breath fanned her entire body and she saw the fiery spirit dancing in his eye as she glared at him. Black chakra was released with a hiss through the metal bars and Sakura took a step back, eyes wide as she quickly braced herself for anything that could happen. Sakura had been there when Naruto had gone crazy and the Kyuubi's chakra covered his body, it was a flaming red chakra that she was drawn to. But the demon's chakra had a different auro to it, it reeked of blood and death, it was disgusting and so strong that it could take years on controlling it.

Chakra surronded her and she felt like she was being pushed underwater. Her senses overloaded and she felt dizzy and lightheaded, the tug on her heart dissappearing as she shrunk deeper into cardiac arrest. Chakra infused her bones and Sakura arched her back, feeling the dark chakra run up and down her spine as it circled around her throat tightly as Sakura thrashed violently, her eyes wide with fear as she felt the chakra enter her mouth, filling her insides as it tore her organs apart.

But everything faded away into purple fire as her eyes turned a dark shade of sapphire which was nearly as dark as a stormy ocean night, and the chakra dissappeared leaving her coughing up blood on the palms of her hands. It was all a genjutsu, an illusion but it felt so real, as if she was really going to die. Sakura shivered when she remembered the feeling of his chakra within her tearing her organs apart and felt sick and light-headed.

"Do not underestimate me" he growled, before the ground beneath Sakura suddenly dissappeared to reveal a chamber full of burning coals and lava and people drowning in the horrendous ruthless, lava waves. Sakura trembled as she wondered how she could still stand and stared at the scene, wanting to run away and wipe the memory and image but her eyes were glued to the chamber. The vision vanished and she stood there, shaking with wide eyes that slowly meet the gaze of the demon.

And she knew. She saw and she knew in those crimson, red eyes.

That he wasn't a monster or a demon. He was worse than that.

He was the unholy God.

Her eyes flickered open to find not the white ceiling of the hospital, but a pale jade colour of the ceiling with a chandelier full of burning candles. Sakura sat up abruptly to find herself in a plush red lounge with a thick blanket around her. The walls were nonexistent in here since there were shelves everywhere she looked full of medical scrolls and various tables dotted around the place. Sakura swung her legs to the side to find Tsunade making some poison inside test tubes. Posion that seemed oddly familiar...

"What are you doing with my poison?!" Sakura shreiked, standing up as she ran towards Tsunade. The Hokage grabbed her wrist and pushed her back, giving her a piercing glare in which she returned with as much fiery. She was impressed but ticked off with her bratty attitude, after Tsunade had personally taken her poisons for further examination when Sakura was house arrested, this was the thanks she earned?

Tsunade watched with newfound interest as Sakura grabbed a test tube before whining, glaring at the blue liquid that was once a pale, azure blue. That poison had chemical herbs that costed her half of her hard-earned money and taken her two years just to complete. All of her hard work was tossed aside when Tsunade probably put cheap, chemicals in it so she spun around and glared daggers at the Hokage, her fist shaking.

"This took me two years to complete! How dare you inject some chemicals in it!" Sakura shreiked. ANBU barged in and Sakura snarled at them, Tsunade dismissed the ANBU as she snatched the poison from her as she placed it gently back on the table. Sakura shook with anger, collapsing in a messy heap on the floor before crawling to the Hokage's feet. Tsunade's eyes widened as she took a step back, amazed by how the girl could change her mood so quickly. But Tsunade felt guilty nonetheless, maybe it was wrong to take her stuff when it wasn't even hers. But the contents of the poison were deadly, something that she had never seen before.

"I've put more chemical herbs in it. Do you want to...work with me?" Tsunade asked gently. Tsunade could feel the pain of being left alone, Team 7's fate was just as similar to hers. Sakura meet her gaze, eyes brimmed with tears as she stood up with shaky knees, putting on some cotton gloves as she put a mask on her face. The real reason why she wanted to make poison because she read in a scroll that once, a great woman lived who was once powerful with poisons and succesfully took out the Zero tails using poisons. Maybe, maybe Sakura could do the same. That small interest had turned into an obssession she couldn't control.

"Azue blue, number digit code 982973 is to be placed in a cold environment, must be injected with Poison code number 716283 every 72 hours" Sakura said. Tsunade was taken aback, she was underestimated her. At first, the girl had stirred up trouble and her first impression was not good for Tsunade, but she had proved herself worthy of her time. Succesfully done an escort mission with Neji had earned her respect but the fact that Sakura was dealing with extremely dangerous poisons made Tsunade view her differently know.

Maybe Tsunade could be her distraction whilst Naruto was out hiding. It was all because of that damned Orochimaru, if only he could've never tried to taken over Konoha with Suna's help. His actions made one of her best potential ninjas with a rare eye technique to run away because that snake Sannin had taken over his mind, caused Akatsuki to come out of hiding and pursue Naruto and most importantly, had caused a young girl to experience so much pain.

Tsunade could vividly remember when Naruto told him in a wobbly voice with a bleeding Sakura on his back when he staggered to Konoha Hospital that Sasuke was taken over by Orochimaru by the Cursed Seal, and that Sasuke was tricked by Orochimaru on believing he had killed Sakura and it was no use to come back now. It broke her heart, to think that three lives were burnt in a flame by a fucking criminal who deserved to die so much.

She watched as Sakura added some poisons together, trying to brush away all her thoughts of Orochimaru as she stared with awed eyes. The girl wasn't even sixteen yet and she had perfected the art of a killer poison that could kill anybody if they dared breath it. But Tsunade knew the girl had a story on why she countinued to do this, it was as if she had a quest to fullfil or a dream. Tsunade was intrigued by the girl, she was different and she was a genius. A rare gem that hardly appeared in generations now.

Sakura took a small cup and placed the poison in it, before taking off her mask as she drank it. Tsunade screamed in horror, but to her disbelief Sakura did not drop dead. Instead, a purple haze surronded her that seemed to come from her bones and body. Sakura clicked her fingers and it vanished, before she dipped the poison in her kunai and flicked the kunai to the book shelf. The kunai hit the shelf and it burnt a pale violet with flames sticking out, Sakura held her breath as she raised a palm and a black tail appeared. The tail seemed to swallow the poisonous flames as it dissappeared.

Tsunade held her breath, gripping her knuckles until they turned white. Sakura turned around with an innocent look on her face before sighing, and Tsunade saw how tired the girl looked. Heavy bags under her eyes, her sharp cheekbones hallow and her lips dry. She felt a burning pity for the girl as she countinued to work on her poisons, ignoring the beads of sweat prickling down her as she tested each one three times. Tsunade scolded her when she nearly fainted for the lack of chakra and had forced her to eat some food.

The sky turned a beautiful rose tinged gold with lavender and soft pinks, the clouds floating past as the sun's rays peeked through. Tsunade could remember the time when Sakura had managed to turn the sky a different shade of colour, and she glanced at her with curious eyes as she placed the empty plate away. Sakura gently placed the poisons inside a cool storage before turning to Tsunade, bowing deeply as she looked up again, her eyes shining.

"Thank you, may I come tomorrow?" Sakura gingerly asked, looking shy. Tsunade nodded, she had nothing else to do but do paperwork and drink her sake and send people out to missions in which Shizune could do. Besides, watching Sakura handle the poisons intrigued her and she had even taken a few notes from the girl who seemed mature for her age. At that age, Tsunade thought dryly, I was annoying Jiraiya and dancing around.

But the ugly truth dawned to her. Sakura did not have anybody to tease, she did not have a family to live with and could never imagine the happy memories of a child with a warm family. Tsunade could remember her flipping through the girl's files and found out that she lived in the worst neighbourhood in Konoha full of tramps and theives with Naruto living a few blocks down. In a way, she felt guilty she took everything for granted and used her title as a way to get things for free while young girls like her should worry about their hair. But life was a bitch, and Tsunade knew that the fallen Team 7 learnt that the hard way.

Sakura closed the door behind her with a soft click, before running down the corridor. Tsunade sighed, taking a long sip of her sake bottle before dragging the chair in front of a large window, sitting down as she admired the beautiful, dazzling sky. She took another sip of her sake bottle, thinking of the blonde, bratty yet strong ninja who she gave her necklace to, the one that was once owned by the First Hokage. Tsunade stared at the sky, her Yin seal glimmering as the sake bottle fell from her fingertips and crashed to the floor, making sake spill across the floor as it rolled down.

She sighed, rubbing her temples as she stood up abruptly and clicked her fingers. What jutsu did that girl use? And why the hell did she seem so immune to poisons? Tsunade's interest flared within her as she grabbed a handful of scrolls and sat on the floor, preparing for a long night full of intense studying with some green tea beside her. The girl was a genius, Tsunade thought, very impressed and proud that a ninja like her could actually be a Leaf one. It said that people who could swallow poisons have special tissues and blood vessels with organs that overload sometimes, sometimes the person was full of limitless chakra.

In all her years of her healing career, Tsunade had never come past such an advanced medical project such as Sakura. Hardly any people could just swallow a poison and remain alive, who knows what the girl could do. A rare gem, rough on the edges but polished nonetheless, Tsunade thought as she sipped some of her green tea. Hours ticked by without even Tsunade realizing it, because she was so absorbed by the information she swallowed.

It was amazing. The last person who could do this was the Sage of the Six Paths, who had changed his tissues and organs without even dying. No wonder they called him God, he was such a genius. But the question on why Sakura could do such a thing hung heavy in the air, and Tsunade wondered how on earth the girl could do it. Maybe there was something within her, or maybe she was born with it. But that prospect was immpossible, that could never happen.

But with a girl like Sakura Haruno, anything could happen.

Neji glanced at the sky before doing a perfect arch as he landed on the floor on his two feet. A kunai came speeding towards his direction but his hand shot up, grabbing the blade as a small, trickle of blood ran down his wrist. He gave Sakura a smug smirk that made her growl as she lunged in to attack, a battle cry escaping from her lips as she raised her axe. Over the past few days, things had changed drasticlly and suddenly, Neji found himself meeting Sakura early in the morning to train, have lunch together before going to the secret basement full of weapons before parting their seperate ways. He usually went back to his house to meditate and Neji had heard Sakura doing some poisons with Tsunade.

He could only hope that Sakura didn't dip her kunais in the poison as Neji took out a kunai that pierced his skin. He felt a strong blow from behind that sent him hurtling forwards. Neji landed on his face, feeling the dirt and grit land on his eyes as he sat up and rubbed it away hastily. Neji gritted his teeth and turned around, running towards her in a fast pace as he grabbed her arm and flung her across the training grounds.

"Damn you!" Sakura screamed as she collided with the tree. Neji smirked as he appeared over her, pointing a kunai to her chin as she smiled triumphantly, looking incredibly pleased with himself. She huffed and stood up, cracking her knuckles as she sighed, fishing out some coins to pay for their lunch. But Neji grabbed her wrist and shook his head, a firm line on his lips as Sakura groaned with annoyance and clenched her jaw. In the end she agreed that he could pay, though she was never up for the idea of him paying for their lunch every single day.

So by the time they reached the resturant at the corner, a place where they usually came to nowadays and they were famaliar with, Sakura managed to persuade Neji to pay for their drinks. He rolled his eyes of her persistance and nodded his head, sipping the cold water that made him sigh with relief. She thanked the waitress as she ate her meal, chewing thoughtfully as she placed the cutlery down, grabbing his attention as he raised a brow.

"You think we could go to more missions together?" she asked, smiling. Neji shrugged his shoulder, though inside he wished they would. He liked her company, and their last escort mission had been a success. It couldn't hurt if Tsunade assigned them to more difficulter tasks, could it? Sure, Neji liked doing escort missions because he had the pleasure of roaming through different lands, but he wanted to widen his horizons.

They agreed to ask Tsunade for a mission after they finished lunch. As Neji waited patiently for Sakura to finish, she sipped her green tea and gave out a small sigh, before giving Neji half a smile as they headed outside. The air was refreshingly cool on their beaten up bodies that recieved a few curious stares, but it wasn't rare to find a young child beaten up badly or bruised. Most likely they were ninjas, most likely they were bullied or abused.

The Hokage tower stretched over them, and as they went up the stairs, Sakura stopped as the memory of falling forwards and Sai grabbing her before she fell surfaced through her mind and she gave out a small smile. She brushed off the memory when she saw Neji several steps ahead of her and she caught up, panting slightly as they countinued their journey in silence. The corridors were empty, occassionally you would find one or two ninjas holding large stacks of paperwork with a small scowl on their faces. Their footsteps echoed through the hallway, but they stopped when both ninjas saw the famaliar wooden door with the golden plaque that said 'Hokage' in it.

Sakura exchanged glances with Neji, who nodded and gestured for her to knock first. No matter how many times the Hokage seemed nice, she was slightly intimidating-especially when her emotions overloaded and her emotions changed when she became drunk. Sakura hesitated before knocking on the door, hearing the gruff acceptance from the Hokage as Neji-being trained etiquette-reached for the door knob and entered it, silently allowing Sakura to go in first.

Tsunade eyed the two with mild interest, for her great focus was on the sake bottle in her hands. Shizune desperately tried to persuade her to do her paperwork, only to be ignored as the Hokage groaned with annoyance and threw her hands in the air. Sakura and Neji stood next to eachother, bowing deeply as they meet the gaze of Tsunade who was far from sober. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips parted as she grinned at them, hair a messy heap.

"Tsunade-sama, can you assign us to a mission?" Sakura was the first to ask, earning a glance from Neji. Tsunade raised a brow and yawned, gesturing for Shizune to come closer as she handed the Hokage a thick document. Tsunade flickered through the pages until she reached one that said 'Missions' and nodded her head wordlessly, cracking her knuckles as she took another long sip of her sake bottle.

Shizune grabbed the rest of the files before placing it inside a cupboard, TonTon circled around her feet, squeling as her purple beads around her neck clashed together. Neji wrinkled his nose in disgust at the sight of the pig, determined to ignore it as it ran around his ankles.

"You'll go on a mission to retrieve this scroll with Shikamaru" Tsunade said, tossing the mission information in which Neji caught. Moments later, the Nara boy came by with a stack of paperwork and a scowl, yawning as he placed the paperwork on the Hokage's desk. Sakura didn't know Shikamaru that well, but she respected him on his intellegence and strategy during his chuunin exam match agaisnt Temari. Such a smart boy, yet he seemed to take after his father as the incredibly lazy as well.

Shikamaru caught her gaze and nodded his head. It was going to be interesting, going on a scroll retrieval mission with the Hyuuga and Sakura, Shikamaru thought as he glanced at the two ninjas with interest. Such a weird friendship, he thought and covered his yawn, looking bored as Tsunade went on and on about the scroll mission.

"The scroll is to be given to the Lord of Forests, leave this afternoon. You are dismissed" Tsunade said, before shooing them with a scowl. It was decided amongst the three ninjas that they shall meet in front of the gates, where they will set out and see how the journey shall go. The team was quite a good mix, with Nara's intellegence, Sakura's power and the Hyuuga's eye technique, the three ninjas could pass this mission with ease.

Sakura smiled on the way home. She realized persuading a drunk Tsunade was easier than persuading a sober one, she was happy to get out of the village with Neji and the Nara boy. Sakura had heard Shikamaru was infamous for cloud watching and playing board games, and she wondered if he was an easy person to talk to. Sakura just hoped he wasn't too lazy when they were on a mission, it would annoy her and Neji. As she walked down the dirty, narrow street and reached her house, she noted the windows were smashed and sighed, picking up the glass shards as she tossed them at the bin full of rotting food.

She could hardly care if her house was being lived by tramps, as long as nobody took off the seal on her bedroom and her bathroom, then she was perfectly fine. Inside, the walls were full of moulds and some of the tins of food were stolen, with broken plates on the floor. Sakura gritted her teeth in annoyance and sighed, running up the stairs as she entered her clean bedroom and packed a few things for their journey. Tsunade had estimated the travel would last for three days, since they had to take a boat and go either the shortcut-which was an underground tunnel-or the long way which was through a forest.

The picture of Team 7 was collecting dust and had fallen on the floor and as Sakura picked up the photograph gently and tucked it away in her cupboard, she realized she couldn't even bare to see Naruto and Sasuke's faces. Ever since Sasuke had left, things had fallen apart already. Kakashi re-joined ANBU and hardly anybody saw him, Naruto left with Jiraiya to do a training program and Sasuke had left with Orochimaru. Sakura had Tsunade and Neji for comfort, yet she wanted more, she wanted to taste the sweet salvation of your team still near you.

The old picture of Team 7 held a scowling Sasuke, a happy Naruto and herself caught while she was muttering death threats as she desperately tried to hide her face with her hair. How things have changed, Sakura thought as she swung the bag around her and stuffed the red cloak inside her bag just in case. She wondered if she was allowed to sell this house and buy another apartment somewhere safer, the last escort mission to the Land of Waves and the escort mission with Neji paid very well, and she had hidden the money in the weapon lair underneath just in case she needed it. Sakura could use another apartment/house, her house was dirty and disgusting, smelt of moulds and mud.

Naruto's apartment was just around the block, near a safer area and Sakura remembered that he had given her the key to his apartment, just in case. Maybe she could live there while he was gone, she thought as she exited her house and made her way to the gates. She could make out two figures leaning agaisnt the trees and wondered if she was late, murmured an apology as they waited for several minutes until a Jounin came past, handing Neji the scroll. They ran in a fast pace, through the forests as the sun's rays peeked through the fluffy clouds and the damp, cool air refreshed Sakura's warm skin.

A summer in Konoha was one of the best things anybody could experience. The shady trees, the nearby lake for some swimming and so many festivals could go on and on, until autumn would come and the leaves would be tinged with gold, brown and copper. Shikamaru eyed the two people he was going to spend with for three days with interest, he had heard from somebody that Sakura was currently working on poisons and chemicals and that Neji was training with the feared clan leader Hiashi Hyuuga. In a way, Shikamaru envied them for having such fantastic oppurtunities, but quickly brushed away the thought as he focused on the mission.

Sakura glanced behind her, noticing the gates were growing farther and farther away as she turned around, her eyes scanning the thick forests. Tsunade had told them that there was a dock nearby where a boat would take them to the borders of the Land of Tea, which was close to the Lord's palace in the Forest. Sakura was excited to see a palace, she had never been in one or saw the real beauty and charm of it all.

...Oh but you have, you used to live in the sky in a golden palace, in which you killed your mother and fell from the heavens...

She ignored the demon's words and sped up, feeling the wind tease her hair as she gritted her teeth. Sakura was looking forward to doing this mission without the demon's constant interruptions, unfortunetly the beast had other ideas. It roared with laughter within her and Sakura could feel the seal in her stomach wash away the concealment jutsu as she gave out a low hiss. Shikamaru, having strangely sharp ears, turned around to quickly glance at Sakura who slowly meet his gaze and he turned around, emmbarrased on being caught so easily. She raised a brow and smirked, her hair brushing agaisnt her bare shoulders as she leapt from tree to tree.

...You want to know why you killed your mother?...

Sakura gritted her teeth, noting the demon's voice was laced with mockery and clenched her jaw. The demon ignored her silent protests and chuckled, causing painful vibrations to bounce on Sakura's head as she looked away so the others couldn't see the pained expression.

...Your mother thirsted for power and released me from the kingdom of hell, framing that you, her only half daughter, commited the murder...

She gave a dry chuckle, refusing to believe such a myth. Legends like that fade in the background, collect dust and hopefully, you shall too, Sakura shot back as she sped past Neji with a grim expression. The beast thrashed and roared violently at her rude remark and a smug smirk graced her lips as the dust swirled around her ankles. Here goes, the most corniest legend out there and your saying I'm the villain? Sakura thought, a small smile gracing her lips.

...Out of rage, you killed her and was soon discovered and banished from the heavens, until the Sage of the Six Paths came and took you as an apprentince...

The pink haired girl rolled her eyes. Extremely believable, she thought as she felt the cool breeze ruffle her hair gently as she speed past the trees, not noticing that Neji and Shikamaru were talking. Myths and legends, nothing more than stories that are told in bonfires and are old, faded and crumpled over the generations, what makes you think I'll belive you? Sakura thought, anger flickering through her facial expression as she gripped her knuckles.

...Because I am the 10th bijuu, I rise from the ashes of war and cleanse this world...

Sakura was sick of his declarations and stupid speeches, the demon thought himself a hero when he said Sakura was the 'Child of Darkness'. He was a dark, ghastly fantasy that could lure people with wonderous temptations. Hell, Sakura wouldn't even be surprised if the demon could bring people from the dead and bribe people. The demon vanished from her mind, much to Sakura's relief as she felt a firm grip on her shoulder, stopping her from speeding.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even realize Shikamaru had said it would be wise to take camp, and blushed with emmbarrasment as she quickly took out her sleeping bag and made a fire using the wood Neji found. She was glad to be in the company with Neji and knew that it was good to be out of the village, the place brought back too much memories that she couldn't face alone. Her tiny, frail heart had just been mended, she didn't want it to break all over again.

"Who wants to take first watch?" Shikamaru asked, yawning. Sakura shot her hand up immediatly and leapt up on the tree, where she leaned agaisnt the tree trunk and watched as Shikamaru easily slept when his body hit the sleeping bag. Neji, however, leapt and sat next to her and she raised a brow, smiling as she swayed her legs in the air. There was a comfortable silence as the breeze came whistling past, and Sakura savoured these sweet moments of bliss and peace.

Memories seemed to flicker past, clouding the air as a small smile appeared on her face. She could remember every single time she spent with Team 7, those black and white memories drifting and screaming for attention. She sighed, running her fingers through her hair as she felt a warm hand pat her back and she turned around to meet the concerned stare of Neji who gave her a soft smile as he gestured towards her unmade sleeping bag.

"Go get some sleep, I'll do the watch" Neji said. Sakura blinked and could only nod, tired as she leapt down and threw the covers around her as she closed her eyes, feeling her heart throb violently as the memories came rushing now in a fast pace, bright and coloured, so real that she could hear, taste and see everything as if she was there again. That sweet dream turned out to be a bitter nightmare, nothing more than memories that could never happen.

Sakura sobbed silently.

The next day, Sakura found herself concentrating not on her mission, but more like her house. She estimated the calculations of how much money she had and within six minutes, she had come up with a sort-of plan that had to be polished. She would sell the house and crash at Naruto's apartment until somebody brought her apartment, but the hard part was to deliver the weapons back to her new house. That thought alone made her think twice of selling her house and she chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully, doing some mental calculations.

The weapons were far too valuable to be carried by normal workmen, and besides her house had a secret lair underneath which was the perfect hideout. Maybe she could talk to Tsunade on making her neighbourhood a bit safer and she promised herself the minute she'd go back to Konoha, she'd be cleaning the mess inside her house. The thought of cleaning made her sigh as she swung the bag over her body, realizing that neither Neji nor Shikamaru had waken her up for her night watch.

Sakura scowled and shot Neji a glare, in which he returned by smirking as he threw the used wood that was burnt from the fire aside. Shikamaru did a double check that he had the scroll inside his bag, before they set off in a long journey without any breakfast. She felt her stomach growl and she sighed, forcing herself to focus on her mission, not food or her house. Besides, Sakura was supposed to be used to starvation and hunger. She spent 72 hours in the interrogation ward inside a solitary cell without any food or water.

That particular memory made her wince as she leapt from tree to tree, feeling the earth crunch beneath her feet. The wind raced through her hair, tangling it as it left her hair a messy heap on her head. Sakura scowled and tried to smoothen her hair as possible, to no avail. It seemed like anything that was going to piss her off was doing a great, fantastic job of it. Her sleep last night was difficult, she felt like she was swimming in tears with faded black and white photographs full of her memories floating around her.

It scared her so much, that she found it difficult to breath in the next six minutes when she awoke. She tilted her head to the side to ignore the harsh sun as she dropped her gaze to the ground, feeling the sun burning her flesh and skin, turning her pale skin into a soft caramel brown. The summer had changed her drasticlly, her pale skin turned into a healthier shade, her cheeks flushed and her hair a shade lighter. Sakura loved the summer, it was those long, hot nights of running around barefoot with daisy chains hanging limply in her head with Naruto when they were young that she treasured those moments. And those summers with Team 7, underneath shady trees as they talked, laughed and ate.

Every summer was always different in her life. Yet every summer seemed to play an important part, whether it be painful or happy. Sakura had lost track of time when she was in the solitary cell or house arrested or in the hospital, because time seemed to stand still and go by extremely slowly for her. And yet it seemed like an eternity ago when she was doing D-Rank missions with Sasuke and Naruto, a whole other world that seemed like a fantasy now considering the situation she was in.

"Sakura, can you check the forest's surrondings for the dock?" Neji said, breaking her train of thoughts. He was exhausted of using his Byakugan and he gave Sakura a slightly pleading look, Shikamaru raised a brow, interested as he stared at Sakura. He had never knew the girl had an eye technique or some sort, the last time he had seen her in action was during the chuunin exams. The Nara boy gave out a wistful sigh, now that was some fight, he thought dryly.

Sakura gave out a faint frown before nodding her head and slowly, her eyes turned a bright sapphire blue that made Shikamaru's eyes widen. She quickly glanced at the forest before her eyes turned the usual mossy green and she released a little sigh, turning around to meet the gaze of Neji.

"It's a twenty minute walk. We'll get there easier if we go through there" Sakura said, pointing to a dirty, narrow path. Neji nodded and they set off, with a hesitant Shikamaru who murmured something under his breath as he trailed after Sakura and Neji. Shikamaru was the sort of person who would rather go through the long way if it saved him from trouble, besides he enjoyed long walks and staring at the clouds. But with two people wanting to go through the short way that spelt 'Trouble', Shikamaru was powerless.

He sighed wearily as they walked in an even pace. They had travelled without any breakfast in a fast speed, so these moments of relaxation without flexing their muscles was important. Shikamaru hated travelling, it always left him tired and sleepy. Aren't I always, he thought dryly as he took out his bottle of water and sipped it. He noticed that Sakura's hair had grown longer, back in the good old Academy days it was short and choppy and messy. Now, it reached her shoulder blades, a bit messy and wavy.

Shikamaru wondered why he was even thinking about her hair and dismissed the thought that he was truly bored, so anything seemed to distract him. Sakura stopped as her eyes quickly turned back into sapphire blue, before it vanished within six seconds as she turned around to face the confused gazes of Neji and Shikamaru.

"Docks here" she said flatly, before walking down a rough ground. They reached the shore within six minutes and a boat with a thick line of people came to view. Sakura approached the captain, whispering in his ear. The captain nodded as she paid quickly, much to Neji's displeasure as he scowled at her. They were escorted inside the boat and were led to a pleasent cabin with two bunkbeds and a bathroom. Sakura sighed wearily, thankful that she didn't need to sleep in the grass this time.

Neji opened the curtains to reveal a large ocean and birds flying across the sky, smiling at the beautiful scenary before he began to unpack. Sakura took out her extra clothes and placed it inside the small cabinet, sighing as she slipped under the crisp covers and yawned. She was tired and exhausted and Sakura believed she deserved the rest. It made her happy to see that irritated scowl on Neji's face when she paid for their travel fares, even though Shikamaru and Neji had their own money. But the Nara boy wasn't complaining, instead he fell asleep almost immediatly when he landed on the soft mattress above her.

Her eyes stared at Neji's back as he finished unpacking and turned around swiftly, meeting her gaze as he gave her a small faint smile. Her friendship with Neji had grown stronger over the past few days, and she was happy to have some company. Yet it frightened her so much because she was so scared of being left again, it was hard trusting a boy when your heart had been torn open and scarred for life. The pain she carried each day always seemed to grow lighter and lighter, yet it would come back with a force incredibly strong when she stared at Neji and saw Sasuke smirking at her.

Why? she felt like screaming this to the world, to tear her hair out and pour her heart out. But what would that change? Sasuke left because he thought he had killed her and Sakura feared he'd forget all about her and Naruto. Her knuckles trembled, if Orochimaru dared lay a finger on Sasuke she was going to make sure that snake bastard was going to experience personal hell. She would go as far as resurrecting the bastard's parents and kill them slowly if that meant Orochimaru giving Sasuke back.

But in a way, Sasuke had left willingly. And it pained her so much, made her in a state of denial that maybe Sasuke still cared and loved her and Naruto and those golden days of Team 7. She quickly brushed away the thought and scolded herself, closing her eyes tightly as she prayed that sleep would overcome her senses and thoughts. But it never came past, those dizzy memories all came rushing past in technicolour blur, making her go crazy and insane.

Put me to sleep, Sakura thought as she silently begged the demon.

..Good nightmares, Izanagi...

Her system shut down.

Shikamaru was the first to wake up to find a sleeping Neji and soft breaths underneath him. He poked his head down to meet the sleepy gaze of Sakura who blinked at him, before shooting him a lazy smirk before she stood up. Her clothes were crumpled and messy, her shirt riding up her stomach as she smoothed it and yawned, running her fingers through her hair. She would expect herself to be sleeping like a sloth, sometimes the demon could go overboard with her rare requests.

...You told me to put you to sleep...

Sakura yawned again, feeling more refreshed from her deep slumber as she knelt down in front of Neji and poked him with a glint in her eyes. His silver eyes flared open, alert before his face arranged into a deep frown. Sakura laughed, startling Shikamaru as he did a double take. A laughing Sakura was a rare sight, yet oddly the Hyuuga seemed to be used to the fact that she was laughing. Shikamaru's curiosity flared and he scolded himself for being so nosy.

But seriously, it intrigued him. Was there something going on between the Hyuuga and Haruno? Shikamaru thought as he stepped inside the bathroom. He washed his face quickly before wiping it with a small white cloth as he exited the bathroom to find Sakura sitting on her bed, wiping her kunais until they shone. Ever since he meet the girl, he felt incredibly uneasy especially when she fought. There was something unholy around her when she fought, something powerful, in a way she was like an Empress, a timeless piece of power. He felt quesy when a breif image of Sakura drenched in blood came flashing through his mind.

There was a faint smile on her face when Neji said something he missed. Shikamaru was genuinely confused, a feeling that was foreign in his mind. The girl was confusing, a shining example on how troublesome girls really could be. He imagined Ino's constant nagging and suddenly missed her, since he had grown fond of her and Chouji and enjoyed annoying the blonde girl. Sakura meet his gaze and gave him a small smile, before returning her focus on cleaning her weapons.

...Imperial Empress, what a nice name for you...

His voice rang through her ears like a shrill bell and she clenched her jaw. Great, she should never asked him to put her too sleep. Now the beast will be constantly nagging her, for I don't know! the length of the whole, fucking mission. Her teeth grazed agaisnt eachother, making a harsh sound that made her jerk in surprise. She let out a small whimper and rubbed her cheek before sighing, grabbing a water bottle as she hungrily drank it.

"Is there a canteen here?" Sakura said, breaking the breif silence. Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders and pointed to the door, making Sakura scowl at his attitude before shutting the door behind her. The boat swayed and Sakura could smell the salty scent of the ocean and smiled, running up the stairs before ending up in a confusing position. Right or left? she thought as she glanced at the two hallways, before she choose right and walked down the empty hallway.

The corridor was dimly lit by a small, flickering candle that was on the verge of vanishing. Sakura paused, wondering whether she should turn back and take the left corridor but sighed, thinking it wouldn't hurt to discover the boat's quarters. The corridor became darker now, much more narrower and moulds in the corners of the walls. Cobwebs and dust were on the floor, before a dead end appeared with a heavy metal door. Sakura wrinkled her nose in disgust as she leaned, smelling dried blood and sweat.

There was muffled sounds behind and Sakura narrowed her eyes that turned sapphire blue. One of the many pros and cons of her eye technique was that it could see through anything, and right now the thing she saw was something she hoped she never did. Bodies, rotting bodies piled up in a corner, some of them hanging from the ceiling and knives cluttered around, dirty and rough and used. She released a shaky breath, and a man with a long cloak turned around and meet her gaze, as if he knew that she was spying on him.

Sakura turned around and ran for her life, chakra pumping from her feet as she stumbled and ran down the narrow corridor. The images were spinning, playing tricks on her mind as she felt darkness linger around her vision. Blue blotches appeared on her eye sight and she paused, feeling for her eyes with a shaky hand before a hand shot from the shadows and grabbed her, dragging her to the dark.

Her muffled screams and vigorous kicks were unheard and after a few moments, Sakura came out. Except, this wasn't the real Sakura, a poser, a spy that was sent to retrieve information about Konoha. Important information that could lead to it's downfall.

Sakura licked her lips, her green eyes having a tinge of gold.

The fire burnt low, flickering as the real Sakura struggled agaisnt the tight heavy chains and buckles around her body. The tight rope around her mouth dug inside her flesh, tearing it open as the rough surface grazed across her cheek. Her weapons lay aside, and she struggled as she thrashed violently. The demon's chakra came out from her palms, cutting the ropes effiecently and the buckles and chains dropped to the floor with a thud.

Sakura released a sigh, before standing up as she ran towards the door. She twisted the door knob, but it wouldn't budge and she gave out a cry of frustration before out of desperation, throwing herself at the hard metal door. It gave out a long squek and Sakura pushed it open, stepping out of the room as she ran down the narrow corridor, stumbling over her foot as she landed on her face and grazed her chin. Blood rushed to her head as she groaned in pain, before pushing herself up as she ran.

The boat was silent, dim and dark and full of crawling spiders. As she turned a corner, violet flames leapt from the ground and she took a step back, quivering with fear. Sakura drew a sharp breath before leaping over the flames, but the flames turned into hands and grabbed her ankle, twisting it as she released a shreik of pain. It flung her back and she was sent hurtling at the far end, where her spine connected with the wall as she coughed up blood in her dirty palms.

Sakura growled, standing up as she brushed off the dust and held up a hand, her eyes turning a sapphire blue as black petals came swirling out of her palm before absorbing the flames. She jumped, startled as she stared at her palm. The beast is doing it, she thought as she ran down the corridor with blood trickling down her cheeks from the fall. Every single door in the boat was open, revealing rotting bodies and dimly lit candles with dripping wax.

But her thoughts alone were on Shikamaru and Neji and she increased her pace, pumping chakra on her feet as she turned around and ran down a narrow hallway before climbing up a flight of stairs. There, right at the end of the corridor was the cabin they were staying in with the golden plaque saying 'Room 666' on it and she grinned, reaching an arm as she twisted the door knob and flung the door open. She held her breath and fell on her knees at the gruesome sight and covered her mouth, quivering.

Shikamaru and Neji were pinned to the wall with kunais pierced in their palms, bleeding and stuggling under the tight grasp. An identical twin of her spun around and smiled at her and Sakura felt the demon's chakra stirr with anger. The poser took a step forward, holding a gleaming katana as she gave her a sadistic grin before licking her lips. The imposter slowly turned into a tall man that Sakura knew all to well, that one person who ruined her life, grabbed her teammates and left her broken and scarred.

"...Orochimaru" she whispered, the name the personification of evil. The snake Sannin grinned at her, tossing his sword in the air before grabbing it easily as he pointed the sword towards her, his golden eyes shining agaisnt the bright light. Neji watched with wide eyes as Sakura parted her lips and released an inhuman roar before charging with passion and fury, Orochimaru dodged her attack and appeared behind her, grabbing her hair as he flung her across the rooom. She released a cry and stood up with shaky knees, clutching her head.

"We meet again, Sa-ku-ra" Orochimaru said, sarcasm dripping on his voice. She growled, her fist shaking as the demon within her vibrated with anger and misery. He was shouting now, begging her to use his limitless chakra and Sakura could almost see his crimson eye filled with bloodlust. Oh how she wanted to kill that wretched bastard, to tear his guts out and stuff his heart down his throat before burning him alive. The thought was gruesome but it would be refreshingly satisfying to kill a man who had ruined her life and taken her best friend.

She had been an emotional wreck after Sasuke had left, broken, battered and bloody. Sakura would never let anybody do that to her know and as black chakra swirled around her ankles, her eyes turned a dark sapphire as she sneered at Orochimaru who raised a brow and licked his lips. Shikamaru's eyes widened as he watched the display, hoping to god that Sakura wouldn't kill the man in a gruesome fashion that could make him vomit in disgust.

Sakura charged in a fast pace that even Orochimaru could not see, and his golden eyes narrowed as her hand shot from the ground and grabbed his ankles, dragging him down as a clone of her appeared on top, a kunai in her hands and mouth as her eyes burned with anger. She pierced the kunai on top of his head, but the bastard dissolved into a million of snakes that parted their lips and hissed, venom trickling down their scales as Sakura took a step back. She grabbed a poison from her pouch, drinking it hastily as a golden smoke was released from her body as she smiled with satisfaction. She had been working on her big project lately, staying up all night to create a poison that could make her invincible to snake venom that she had once been bitten by.

"Impressive, I'm sure Sasuke-kun would be pleased to hear his little comrade all strong and mighty" Orochimaru said, smirking as she froze at the mention of his name. She shook with anger and charged, making the snakes lunge in as they bit her, injecting her with the deadly venom. But she didn't flinch, merely grinned at the shocked face of the Sannin as she brushed off the snakes and lunged to attack. Neji and Shikamaru held their breaths, hearts ringing in their ears as they prayed that even though Orochimaru was a bloody Sannin-and a very good one, that maybe Sakura could at least land a blow on him.

Victory was on her side as she vanished suddenly, appearing behind him as black chakra gathered on her hand that had an uncanny resemblance to Chidori and Rasengan as she plunged it deep within Orochimaru's back. He released a low hiss and vanished and the whole strong genjutsu vanished with him, leaving the three laying on the floor, breathless and panting as the cabin was back to normal again. Shikamaru opened the window and vomited, making Neji and Sakura wrinkle their nose in disgust.

The Nara boy wiped his mouth with his shoulder as he collapsed on the floor, clutching his pounding head as he closed his eyes. His vision was blurry and he wiped his eyes hastily, groaning with pain as he watched Sakura kneel in front of him as she held a hand to his eyes and green chakra pumped on her fist. Over the few days that she had been dealing with poisons with Tsunade, the Hokage had taught her valuable and basic healing in case of minor injuries.

"Thanks" Shikamaru said in a raspy voice. Sakura nodded as she finished, turning around as she opened the door. Instead of seeing dark, narrow corridors with violet flames, she saw the floorboards and the railings with the bright, clear ocean and seagulls flapping their wings as they squeked. She breathed a sigh of relief, clutching her pounding chest as she turned around to find Neji sitting down, looking stressed and worried as he ran a hand through his hair.

"This mission is dangerous. We need to send a message to Tsunade for somebody to pick us up" Shikamaru said, worry in his face. Neji and Sakura glanced at eachother as she shot him a pleading look. Shikamaru's scowled at her stubborn attitude.

"We nearly got killed! It's stupid to countinue!" he argued, standing up from the ground. Sakura glared at him as she took the scroll they were supposed to give to the Lord of Forest and growled at him, thrusting the scroll in the air.

"We will countinue this mission, Shikamaru. I have to earn Tsunade's trust back!" she cried. Neji and Shikamaru gave her a startled glance as they sighed, dropping their heads in defeat. She smirked, knowing that she had won the arguement. Shikamaru really couldn't argue with a girl who was on the same team as Naruto, that boy probably rubbed into her too much. But it was troublesome all at the same time, which made his face scrunched up with fear.

"When we arrive at the palace, we could send a message immediatly to Tsunade, saying we've been attacked on the way" Neji spoke, breaking the breif pause. Shikamaru sighed, knowing it was useless to fight his case agaisnt two people and nodded his head wordlessly. Sakura agreed, thinking it was a smart idea. They would countinue their mission and get a ride back home, it sounded appealing enough to her ears.

"Yeah, but the minute we get attacked by that snake guy, we immediatly send a message" Shikamaru said, his voice pleading. Sakura agreed after a few moments, scowling as she tucked the scroll safely inside her bag before sighing, sitting down on the bed. She was exhausted, the poison had side effects such as exhaustion and in need for at least six hours of sleep before the user could be fully active again. Her shoulders slumped as she fell on her bed, the sheets rustled beneath her body as she rolled to the other side.

Her eyes closed before anybody could utter a single word. But even though she looked peaceful and calm on the outside, she was restless with thoughts of Sasuke swirling around her mind.

Neji watched her body rise and fall, her hair sprawled across her and her neck exposed. He figured not to disturb her since she was probably exhausted or it might be a possibility that these were the side effects of that liquid she drank during her match agaisnt Orochimaru. He was amazed by her swift and elegant yet sharp moves, how she brushed off the snakes and ignored the venom without a care as if she was immune to it and hit the Sannin's back with that swirling black ball in her hands.

And that person so happened to be a Sannin.

She just never failed to fascinate him. She was gifted with supreme intellegence that could rival a Nara's, deadly during battle and yet so fragile when it came to her emotions, so protective to her broken Team 7. He watched in the corner of his eye Shikamaru climb on the bed on top of hers and throw the covers over his body and sighed, his hunger increasing as he left the cabin in a hurry to head for the canteen.

His thoughts on the previous event made him sigh. He was useless, he realized, all he did was turn on his Byakugan and do some pointless blows before being pinned to the wall. He tried to calm his broken pride that this was a Sannin he fought, but his courage shrunk when he saw Sakura easily dodge his failed attempts of attacks and landed a massive blow on Orochimaru's back. It made him to strive to be stronger, faster and better and maybe-just maybe, he could land a fatal blow on his back.

He remembered vividly how Sakura had frozen on the spot at the mention of Sasuke's name, and he realized that she was vulnerable and all those carefully hidden emotions springing to life in her glassy eyes. It made him realize how close she was to him, because nobody could be pained and angered at the mere mention of one's name. He arrived at the canteen where he lined up, holding a small tray as he grabbed some dangos and a fresh cup of water before slowly making his way to the nearest empty table.

Neji sat down, eating his meal as all thoughts of Sakura quickly vanished when a satisfying breeze came past, cooling his tense body and warm skin. He sighed, rubbing his wrists as he noticed the marks on where the kunai had been dug deep had vanished. He raised his head to meet a girl with strange crimson red hair that reached her shoulders and hazel eyes who shyly glanced at him.

"Can I sit here?" she asked, hope in her voice. Neji scanned the room, noticing that the tables were full and nodded his head wordlessly. He took a sneaky glance at the girl who was wearing a white kimono top with long sleeves and black pants with jade coloured sandals before finishing his meal. She gave him a curious glance and she gasped at the sight of his headband.

"Are you a Konoha ninja?" she said. Neji nodded his head, his hair cascading down his shoulders as he drank his water. The girl beamed at him, tilting her head to the side as her neck was exposed, revealing a dark mark that looked like a birth mark.

"I'm the Lord of Forest's daughter, you must be Neji Hyuuga!" she said, grabbing his attention. Neji held his breath, that sentence alone explained a lot of things. From the expensive hair decoration and the fine silk of her clothes, it was obvious the girl was far wealthier than all of the passengers and including him combined. The necklace around her neck held a valuable looking emerald that was in a shape of an oak tree that Neji estimated could be bought for two mountains.

"Yes I am. We can you escort you back to your palace" Neji replied. The girl nodded slowly, her crimson hair spilling across her shoulders as two bulky looking men with large swords approached the both of them. Neji instantly knew they were samurais and stood up, bowing as a sign of respect as he headed back to place the tray away. Neji returned, meeting the excited gaze of the young girl as she asked him to show the rest of his team and the scroll.

Neji hesitated, wondering if she was an imposter before slowly nodding his head and lead them to their humble cabin, where a freshly awake Shikamaru lay reading a small book. He immediatly stood up, startled as he shot Neji a confused gaze. The girl made her way to the sleeping form of Sakura, but Neji grabbed her wrist earning a reaction from the samurais as they unseathed their katanas. The girl gave him a look.

"She's exhausted. Suffers from travelling sickness" Neji lied. In truth, he wanted Sakura to sleep, she was probably exhausted from her fight. The girl nodded, the look of understanding in her face as she turned around and beamed at Shikamaru.

"I'm Rin. Daughter of the Lord of Forest" she said. When Shikamaru gave her a disbelieving stare, she took off her necklace and gestured for Neji to take the scroll. He obeyed, taking the scroll from Sakura's bag. The necklace design was exactly the same to the design pattern of the scroll and to prove her case, Rin stretched her neck to expose the birth mark as she pointed at it.

"Don't worry I'm not a poser" she said. Shikamaru and Neji sighed with relief, they were sick of imposters now, especially after a fake Sakura who turned out to be Orochimaru nearly killed them both by slitting their throats with no trace of mercy. It was arranged in the stren fashion that Rin was to be escorted with the scroll back to her palace and when the boat would arrive at the docks, a ride for all of them would be ready to carry them. Neji promised Shikamaru to fill in the information for Sakura the moment she woke up and watched as the girl and her two bodyguards exit, leaving Shikamaru to sigh with relief.

"That was tense" he commented dryly. Neji snorted in agreement as he sat down on his bed, kicking off his shoes as he threw the covers over him. Was he being to rash in deciding that the girl was really the daughter? he thought worriedly. But Shikamaru seemed to think that she was the daughter so Neji relaxed, rubbing his temples as he pressed his face agaisnt the pillow, hoping to block all sounds of the world.

Inside Sakura's mind, she found herself in the demon's sanctuary. But it looked different, the grey large bars was transformed into a golden cage with pillars running down the vast hallway. She blinked, confused at the sight as one crimson eye full of ten dots flashed open and she took a step back, shocked. The demon released a low breath, allowing cloud of grey smoke to billow in the air.

"Every now and then, the sanctuary changes" he said carefully. Sakura slowly nodded her head and sighed, feeling tired and numb as she approached the demon, her eyes trailing over his shadowed form. The red moon seemed to grow bigger, Sakura noted but quickly brushed away the thought as she collapsed on the ground, feeling her head pound. Now was not the time to bother her, she was tired from the side effects of the potion and needed some sleep.

"Keep an eye on that snake bastard" the demon said, his voice full of threat and anger as he took a step back, causing a great big shadow over his body. Sakura could only nod wordlessly, head pounding as she crawled away and leaned agaisnt a pillar. His eye stared at her form before his tail came slithering out in between the golden bars and Sakura stared at the black, thick tail before brushing it away with tired hands.

"Please, just let me go to sleep" Sakura begged, her head dropping to the side. The demon's tails swiped across her, before she felt her senses overload as she fell on the floor with a thud.

Shikamaru stepped out of the shower, drying his hair with the fluffy towel before quickly changing back into his clothes. He heard a faint rustle of sheets and murmurs before opening the bathroom door, releasing steam. Sakura was fully awake, her hair a messy heap on her head as she gave Shikamaru a scowl.

"You sure this is the daughter of the Lord?" she asked, yawning. Shikamaru and Neji exchanged glances before shrugging their shoulders and Sakura frowned, smoothing her hair with a small comb she fished out of her bag. She brushed it impatiently, yanking her hair as she chewed her bottom lip. Strands of pink hair fell on the floor and she cursed under her breath.

Shikamaru shook his head at the mess and grabbed the dust pan from the wooden cabinet, shoving the cleaning utensils towards her. "Don't worry, I'm sure she is" Shikamaru said, earning a sigh from her as she shrugged her shoulders and bent down to sweep away the mess. In truth, all of the three ninjas shared their silent hesitation of whether the girl was really the daughter. Besides, after the last imposter, it left them edgy on their seats.

Sakura leaned in slightly, feeling pain churn in her stomach as she gripped the bedsheets. Her hair covered half of her face, hiding the pained expression as the pain dissappeared and she parted her lips to release a small, satisfied sigh. The grip on the bedsheets loosened and she ran a finger through her messy tresses, chewing her bottom lip thoughtfully as she idly kicked the kunai on the floor. There was a tense silence, except for the small breathing and the waves gently lapping on the sides of the boat.

The window was wide open, revealing the sparkling ocean and clear blue skies. Sakura stood up, leaning agaisnt the window sill as she exhaled the lingering scent of salty sea water, a small smile forming in her lips. Neji's eyes darted between Shikamaru and Sakura before he twisted the door knob of the bathroom open and entered, closing it behind him. Shikamaru shuffled his feet awkwardly, his curious eyes staring at Sakura's back as she flexed her shoulders and sighed.

"Come eat with me, I'm starving" Sakura said dryly, turning around as she gave Shikamaru a small smile. He nodded wordlessly, following her down the corridor as they slowly made their way to the canteen. Sakura was frightened that the whole genjutsu would come alive, that purple flames would leap out and twist her ankle and snakes would come crawling on her skin, sending shivers down her spine. But as they climbed a flight of stairs, they saw a flat surface with tables and a small canteen in the corner and she sighed with relief.

But Orochimaru's words echoed in her mind. Sasuke's name was repeated over and over, slowly gathering up volume until his name was screaming inside her mind, making her clench her jaw as she ignored the painful vibrations. In the corner of her eye, she saw a boy facing away, leaning agaisnt the railings with raven dark hair and a dark blue shirt. Her heart paced wildly and she felt her mouth go dry as she tried to regain her dignity.

Yet, that boy looked like Sasuke. How his hair floated around him as the breeze came, how his dark blue shirt resembled so much like his. Her heart twisted painfully into tight knots and ribbons, creating her inner self to go insane. She approached him, ignoring Shikamaru's confused glances as she held her breath, lurking behind a wooden pillar. But the boy turned around, and it wasn't Sasuke. It wasn't the boy she cared for, the boy she grew up with. The boy who shredded her small heart into pieces, the boy who was the cause of her mental breakdowns.

The pain was unbearable, strong and so painful. It felt like a sword piercing into her heart as the boy turned around and gave her a smirk, something that Sasuke used to do. It hurt so bad that she stumbled when she spun around and walked towards Shikamaru. She hardly noticed her tears, hardly noticed how Shikamaru's faraway voice full of concern asked her if she was okay. Sakura felt like she was swimming in her pool of tears, trying desperately to get to shore only to drown in them.

It hurt so bad she nearly tripped over a girl.

"I'm sorry" she said clumsily, stumbling. Shikamaru grabbed her shoulder, steadying her as he ignored the stares from the other passengers. The girl had crimson red hair and kind eyes with a white kimono top. She blinked at her, before smiling at Shikamaru as she carefully tucked a stray of hair behind Sakura's ear.

"You must be Sakura" she murmured. Sakura blinked and shot Shikamaru a confused glance, eyes clear now as her hazy vision dissappeared revealing a sharp focus. The three sat down in a nearby table, where the mysterious girl Sakura had yet to know ordered three cups of herbal tea. The order came instantly, and the hot steam and satisfying liquid made Sakura sigh as she drank it happily.

"I'm Rin, the daughter of the Lord" the girl said, beaming at Sakura. She shot her a weak smile, running a finger through her hair. It was rather an emmbarrasing situation for Sakura, to be seen at her weakest and to be ordered a cup of tea by a person higher rank than her. But the pain inside her heart was something impatient, something restless that could not be ignored. The boy who looked like Sasuke approached them, his stance cocky as he gave Sakura a toothy grin.

She felt her heart pound at the prescence of him and hid her scowl. His dark blue shirt billowed gently, showing some traces of lightly tanned skin. Sasuke had pale skin, never grinned or looked dishevelled. She scolded herself for thinking about her teammate when her concern should be on her mission alone, but the mere sight of a lookalike of a boy she once knew made all those memories come rushing back.

"Stop it Gemato!" Rin said, her voice playful. The boy shrugged his shoulders as his keen eyes stared at Shikamaru and Sakura, but his gaze at Sakura a tad bit longer for anybody's liking. Sakura meet his eyes and raised a brow, earning a deep chuckle from the boy as he ordered some water. Instantly, Sakura and Shikamaru hated the boy's cocky attitude and his stupid guts as the minutes wavered on and the two ninjas were forced to listen to their conversations with non existent interest.

Sakura wanted to escape. She wanted to clear her head and be alone, to sleep soundly and drink green tea and not give a damn. She tried to find an excuse to go to no avail, and sent Shikamaru a pleading look who stared at his empty cup. He scowled and thought for a second, before standing up abruptly as he grabbed Sakura's arm.

"She needs some medication. Travel sickness" Shikamaru said. Sakura nodded wordlessly and they were excused as they ran down the corridor, estatic to have finally escaped the boring, mental torture. Even Shikamaru, who enjoyed the sound of idle chatter, feel of the cool breeze and drinking herbal tea found it incredibly boring. By the time they arrived at their small cabin, Neji was meditating, eyes close with his stance perfectly still with a note on top of him saying 'Do not Disturb'.

Shikamaru, being a Nara, poked Neji's head. His silver eyes flared open, alert and wide as his features settled into a scowl and he rubbed his forehead. Neji gave Shikamaru an annoyed frown, but his face softened when he saw Sakura, fresh and awake. She beamed at him, her short, choppy tresses falling over her shoulders as she sat on her bed, pulling the covers over her lap as she snickered at the spiteful glances Neji and Shikamaru sent to eachother.

Lately, her friendship with Shikamaru had grown. The boy was somebody she enjoyed being around, he was quiet and always slept, often saying smart remarks that made her laugh or smile. But she was insecure, after being trampled on and being left behind to rot and die, Sakura found it extremely difficult to open her heart and care for somebody. But it tasted to sweet friendship, so intoxicating and sweet.

"You think it's her?" Neji asked. There was no point now on trying to meditate, not with disturbance and two people staring at him, making him very uncomfortable. Sakura thought for a few moments before shrugging her shoulders, enjoying the exasperated stare of Neji as he scowled at her. Sakura enjoyed annoying people to no end, enjoyed how their faces would scrunch up in frustration and they would bite their tongue in order not to insult her.

"Guessing by the fabric of her shirt, than yes" Sakura finally answered, smiling. Shikamaru's head popped from the bathroom door, his hair messy as he shot both of them a lazy smirk before exiting as he wiped his face with a towel before tossing it inside his bag, climbing up the short ladder of the bunkbed before laying on the bed. The laughter and warmth died down inside Sakura's brain when the demon's face flickered past her mind and she froze, feeling shaken.

Instead of the familiar wide eye with ten swirling dots, it was a pale lilac with black rings.

The Rinnengan.

Sakura felt her senses shut down completely as she fell forward, feeling a strong hand grip her limp body.

...Izanagi...

"Let the rain wash away, all the pain of yesterday" Sakura chanted, staring at the words on the beautiful tapestry hung on the wall. The candles on the large chandelier flickered, casting shadows down the vast hallway full of paintings and portraits. Her mind was buzzing and the air was electrifying and strangely enough, Sakura was not intimidated the fact that she was walking down the many hallways of the demon's sanctuary with moving shadows that weren't hers for company.

Sakura could really not be bothered to question the demon's motives, but she found strange comfort in this vast castle of endless rooms. Her inner child sparked with curiosity, causing the demon to release a low chuckle as she spun around, eyes blazing with fear. But in front of her was a tall man with a black cloak and a white mask with one hole, showing a crimson red eye with ten swirling dots. His low breath seemed so familiar to her, and yet...

"Your the..." Sakura trailed off, eyes wide with awe as she took a step back. The man was intimidating, majestic and powerful with floor length black hair and a mask, looking frightening as he opened his cloak to reveal impressive armour. There was a katana strapped on his back, the black, shiny handle shimmering agaisnt the intense stare of the candles above. Sakura held her breath, twisting her shirt into knots.

"This is my human form" he said, voice smooth and stable. Sakura could only nod wordlessly, still in awe of his mere prescence that terrified her. The beast that she known, the ugly beast with ten swirling tails showering above him, the beast who mocked her to no end and caused her so much pain was a man that spoke of wisdom and history, and probably was a billion years old. Noticing her expression, the man chuckled.

"I sent you here to see you personally. I am sorry for the pain I have caused you" he said softly, voice gently as he twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. Sakura shuddered, green eyes darting around nervously as she chewed her bottom lip. She was so used to meet the strong stare of the demon, so used to his insults and mockery and the pain that he caused her that she couldn't bear to think that this polite man who stood in front of her, was the demon.

So many unsolved questions flashed through her mind and she breathed heavily, clutching her head as she shot the man a pleading look. She watched as the man smiled gently at her, parting his lips as he murmured something underneath his breath.

Her mind went blank.

"...you okay? Sakura!" Neji's worried voice drowned back in, filling her senses as her eyes flared open and she gasped, sitting up as she clutched her chest, gripping the bedsheets with a crazed look in her eyes. Her lips parted as she released an inhuman hiss that made Shikamaru and Neji take two steps back in wonder and awe.

"I'm sorry" she said, her voice wobbly. Neji's eyes softened as he saw the weak, yielding child in her eyes and approached her, placing his soft hands on her forehead. Sakura closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth radiating from him as a sad smile appeared in her face. It was so similar, the way he smiled gently at her, the way he placed his hand on her forehead. It reminded her too much of Sasuke, not the stoic boy, but the caring Sasuke she had grown to protect.

There was a strong bond in Team 7, full of roots and steeped in history. All three binded together, orphans and in need of that silent, unspoken comfort. Something that nobody could understand, because Team 7 was in a league of their own, all three of them powerful yet fragile to the cruel world who stripped them from their innocence in such tender ages. Cruelty was something all three of them experienced over and over again and left them bitter and untouchable. Made of steel and gold, strong and powerful.

A shared history, Sakura thought bitterly, brushing off Neji's hand gently as she stood up and opened the bathroom door. She splashed her face with cold water, feeling it trickle down her collarbone and shuddered, leaning closer so she could see her breath mark the mirror. Her eyes were shimmering, skin a healthy shade of tan and her hair, no matter how dishevelled it was, beautifully cascaded down her shoulders, the tips of it brushing agaisnt her.

"I'm broken" she said to herself, her words ringing in the air as she closed her eyes and leaned her forehead agaisnt the cool glass. Sakura knew she was being selfish, worrying about her own needs when she should be concentrating on her mission. But she couldn't help it, her thoughts were on the man only. He was electrifying, beautiful in a dark, haunting way that sent chills down her spine when she felt his hair prickle agaisnt her bruised, ugly skin.

But that man was also the man who caused her so much pain, taunted her endlessly with mockery and mercilessly trampled on her emotions before tossing them into a fire. But the way his one eye would stare at her soul, breaking open her mind and making her pour out all her pain, misery and memories made her eyes widen with fear as she splashed more cold water on her face. The shock of it made her bounce and she sighed, drying her face with the towel before exiting the bathroom.

"I'm going" Sakura said hastily, before running out of the room in a hurry to find air and space to think. Her head was buzzing, full of a train of endless thoughts and black-and-white memories of Team 7 with burnt edges flickering through her mind in such a fast pace. Euphoria made her dizzy, the air left her light headed but the man's gaze left her electrified. Left her wanting more.

But Sasuke's face entered her mind and she stopped in her tracks, trembling as her hands shook. Her eyes were wide with sadness and sorrow as she bowed her head, causing her hair to spill across her shoulders as a tear rolled down her cheeks. In a way, she was angry with Sasuke, angry that his empty promise of coming back was never fullfilled, angry that he left her when he promised to always protect her and Naruto.

Sakura ran on the top of the boat, where she stared at the sky with eyes full of blazing emotions brimmed with tears of frustration, sadness and anger. Her fists clenched as her lips parted and she released a strangled sob. Somewhere, out there, she knew Sasuke felt her chakra, felt her from the mountain he was in, his eyes full of emotions and tears.

"SASUKE!" She screamed.

And out there, she knew deep inside her heart. Knew from all those deep, rusty roots of her broken, shredded heart that he screamed her name. And felt her prescence, that he knew that she was alive and well. That he could feel her burning chakra from all that way, that he could feel and share her pain and loneliness. Because these two broken souls had moulded so perfectly, yet one of them feared to be loved, and the other feared to love a person. To open their hearts, to welcome a person and share your deepest, darkest secrets was something she could hardly do anymore.

But this was something that she could do. She couldn't see Sasuke, couldn't feel his breath, his blood, sweat and tears. But this was the only thing she could do, to make him feel her burning chakra, burning his dark soul and giving him warmth.

His chakra jolted through her bones and she smiled, eyes full of hope. He had felt it, and had given something back.

"Sasuke..." she whispered, shutting her eyes.

(And somewhere out there, his dark eyes flared open revealing crimson orbs as they stared at the clear, blue sky-his hands in the air with burning passion in his eyes that was like a fire. Deep inside his heart, those last traces of his humanity grew bigger and bigger. Because that girl with pink hair and boy with golden hair had changed him, changed his heart and soul-and yet he had been stupid enough to toss it away and stamp on it.

But...

Sakura on the boat, her eyes shining.

Naruto perched on a tree, heart beating.

Sasuke on a mountain, pride burning.

Those three people will always wait for eachother because no matter what happens, they'll always have eachother's backs. They protect eachother, care for eachother in their silent moments of needed comfort and shared pain, sorrow and despair.

And in those moments, no matter how faraway they were, no matter how lost they were, no matter how detached they were from the world.

They were always there for eachother.)

"TEAM 7!" Sakura hollered, newfound courage bubbling up within her like an abrupt fire.

.  



	19. Chapter 19

Don't own Naruto. Or parts of Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift!

ENJOY!

Neji's eyes flickered open when the door creaked open and Sakura entered, cheeks flushed and eyes shining as she beamed at him. He nearly jumped from shock and shook his head, his soft locks cascading down his shoulders. He could never catch up with her incredible mood swings, it was like being stuck with a bomb. Never knew it was going to explode any second. But he was relieved nonetheless. Doing a long scroll mission with a broken, crying Sakura was hard-he had enough experience to say such a thing.

Seeing her break down when she thought she had seen Naruto from that flash of orange had given her a mental breakdown, collapsing on the ground in a terrible mess. It caused his mind to be plagued by dreams of her wide eyes brimmed with tears and full of sorrow, how her cold skin was illuminated by the light of the moon, casting shadows and defining her cheekbones. It scared him so much, scared him so much that he sometimes woke up, sweaty and panting.

"Sorry Neji" Sakura whispered, staring at the ground. She felt guilty for brushing him and Shikamaru's obvious concerns when she was caught up in her own self pity and sorrow. She felt childish for indulging herself with her own needs and sighed, landing on her bed as she threw the crisp covers over her writhered body. Her outburst left her exhausted of the excitement and the electrifying feel of the man's stare within her, burning in a dark, damp area.

Neji stared at her as she sat on the bed, looking dazed and lost in time as she meet his gaze. But in a way, she wasn't really looking at him, there was a faraway look in her eyes, something that he could see perfectly clearly from the way the sun settles on her face, casting shadows and defining her sharp cheekbones. But it seemed she was back, for she jumped slightly and parted her lips, releasing a small sigh as she ran a finger through her hair.

That memory of Sasuke pressing his forehead agaisnt hers, how his fingers entwined with hers as he said empty promises of coming back. The smoke had drifted their memories, burning them like they were pieces of paper. And there was that moment, when his body had held a crater to prevent it from crushing her and Naruto. It made her knees shake as she covered her face with her hands, feeling shaken by the whole memory.

Sakura could never love anybody like she did to Sasuke. She was insecure now, more alert with experience that she never wanted to taste. The pain was unbearable, too much to handle in her small, pathetic heart that had been crushed. But when she had reached out for him, sending her chakra to him and he had done the same, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope, something that could spread like wildfire and make her be caught up in it's beautiful fantasy-only to be crushed.

Because in her life, Sakura was never lucky. It seemed like the people she had grown close to always seemed to drift apart, and she'd be left trying to find another sense of comfort that she could receive from a breathing human. In a way, she was a monster, fashioned into a beautiful destruction by the years that passed slowly. Sakura could wrap you around her finger, seek comfort and leave you in a small, dark cell where you would wait to be used again-only to find out that she had ranaway.

Ranaway because she feared on being loved.

(Philophobia-

Was she scared of loving or-

To be loved?)

Her train of thoughts were interrupted when Neji, who had thought she had fallen asleep, pulled the covers over her body. And it was at those small moments that she could feel his soft, warm hands that she thought how lucky she was. The crisp bedsheets rustled as she rolled to her other side, and a yawn escaped from her lips as she slowly closed her eyes, feeling her senses shut down as her breathing became stable and calm.

And in her dreams, she was plagued by crimson orbs and sapphire blue eyes. The warmth of the sun, the blades of grass beneath her feet and the smell of dust and sweat in the air.

Shikamaru lined up, receiving his meal before he headed to the table where Neji sat, drinking his herbal tea as he nodded at Shikamaru. The air was refreshingly cool and damp and much needed from the endless heat of the sun. The Land of Tea was warm during these long summers, and anything that could cool hot skin and beads of sweat was much needed. They ate their dinner in silence, the sky a pale grey-almost opalescent. But their comfortable silence was broken when Rin came running towards them, wearing a jade coloured kimono top with wooden sandals.

"The boats landing in fifteen minutes!" she said happily. Neji and Shikamaru nodded before finishing their meal and heading back to the cabin, where an asleep Sakura lay with the crisp bedsheets tangled around her frame. Shikamaru double checked the scroll and placed it inside his bag as he slung it over his body, before gently shaking Sakura awake when Neji was busy packing his and Sakura's things away.

Her emerald eyes flared open, startled as she covered her mouth and yawned. Neji tossed her bag and it landed on her face, earning a growl from the girl as she swung the bag over her body and scowled at Neji. Sakura was confused, what was happening? Were they to be evacuated? Did something bad happen?

"Boats landing in fifteen minutes!" a shout came from the captain. Sakura jumped, startled before tidying up the bedsheets and exiting the cabin with Neji and Shikamaru trailing behind her. They were ushered into the waiting area, where they meet Rin and her two samurai bodyguars with Gemato right beside her. Sakura's heart twisted painfully and a deep frown settled on her face as she lowered her gaze into the dirty floor, idly kicking a nearby stone as she brushed off her locks from her shoulder in impatience.

From the distance, Sakura could see the busy docks full of fisher men and families eagerly waiting for the arrival of the other passengers. She smiled at the sight of the Land of Tea, enjoying the beautiful scenary of mountains dotted with wooden houses and liquid streams running down the mountains. Sakura enjoyed the feel of breeze come through her hair and sighed, watching as the captain barked orders and mountains of luggage were laid out for passengers to collect.

The boat landed and released a long, rumbling sound as the passengers exited in a hurry. Sakura trailed after Shikamaru and Neji, who paused to help collect Rin's luggage as they placed it in a carriage. The crowd gathered around them, murmuring underneath their breaths as one of them threw a sharp stone towards Rin. Sakura caught it, crushing it in her hands earning a startled gasp from the crowd as they slowly walked away.

Neji's eyes narrowed as he saw Rin whimper, sliding inside the carriage as she thanked Sakura. Shikamaru was laying on the top of the carriage, enjoying himself as he stared at the fluffy clouds and swung his legs in the air. Sakura sat next to the driver, making idle chatter with the kind old man while Neji sat behind the carriage, on the lookout if anybody dared rob the carriage. The two samurais were gone, since Rin had told them that they had accomplished their task and were returning back to the Land of Iron.

Shikamaru gazed at the blue, clear summer sky and sighed, feeling sleepy as a yawn escaped from his lips. Rin had said the journey would only last three hours, since they would be taking the shortcut up the hill and down the mountain. Neji knew why the crowd had sneered at Rin, he had heard rumours that her father had been abducting pretty girls and turning them into whores, which paid all his great debts of gambling and the building of his palaces.

But Neji had heard that the Lord of Forest was a flamboyant man, greedy and extremely wealthy. It was hard to believe that a girl like Rin, innocent and carefree, did not know her father could possibly be a dirty man involved in disgusting industry. He could just imagine his uncle's disgusted face, and Neji was happy that he didn't become allies with the Forest clan. Just two years ago, they had sent out letters to big clans such as the Hyuugas asking if they could become allies. But every clan always done their research, and all of them had declined his offer, leaving a very flustered Lord.

That's why Neji was reluctant to go on the mission because he didn't want to spark a great conflict between himself and a rich greedy yet extremely powerful man. But he had to, for the sake of Sakura earning Tsunade's trust back and also, because he didn't want to bump into Hinata. Ever since the chuunin exams, he was ashamed of himself for making Hinata an emotional wreck afterwards, and after seeing Sakura have a mental breakdown-Neji really didn't want to imagine Hinata doing it.

He heard a faint laugh and stood up, clinging to the carriage as he tried to see who it was. It came from Sakura as he watched the old driver murmur something he couldn't hear, Sakura bursted into a fit of giggles, clutching her stomach. Neji felt a pang of envy that he wasn't the source of her laughter and sighed, sitting back down as he leaned agaisnt the carriage and parted his lips, releasing an audible sigh. The carriage rode up the hill with great difficulty that Sakura, Shikamaru and Neji were forced to push it from behind agaisnt the hot sun.

Beads of sweat trickled down Sakura's forehead and as chakra pumped from her fist, she gave it one final push before the carriage was up. The driver thanked them, with Rin whooping for their success before rewarding them with fresh, cold water from the nearby stream. They drank it heartily, sweat clinging to their bodies as Sakura searched for her spare top. She took off her red shirt, replacing it with a thinner black shirt and murmured in satisfaction.

"Well, that was a challenge!" Sakura said, laughing. The driver of the carriage slapped her hand, patting her head as she sat down next to him and they countinued their idle chatter. Shikamaru and Neji exchanged glances, shaking their heads as they resumed their perspective places at the carriage began to move again. The fresh cool breeze made them sigh as the hours passed by, until the carriage halted nearby a stream where Rin collected some water and drank it, thirsty.

Sakura stared at the sky, seeing birds come flying past as their feathers fell down. She lowered her gaze to her hands and sighed, noticing that everything was peaceful and calm. Too peaceful and calm for her liking actually, she missed Naruto and Sasuke's constant bickering and Kakashi looking on with mild interest. Her bottom lip quivered and she sighed, swinging her legs back and forth and feeling the edges of her hair tickle her collarbone.

No, she would not think of her old team. She had a new life now, with a friendship with Neji that she worked hard to build, and she was not tossing it away if she even dared to think about her old team which would result to an eventual mental breakdown and a ticket to the asylum ward. Sakura shuddered, remembering those blank, brick walls and the heavy chains draped around her and sighed. Sakura had experienced things she should have never seen, death was a familiar sight to her since she nearly died two times-and that was only during her small lifetime. The image of the human form of the beast came back to her mind and she shivered, remembering that one eye.

Sakura never knew the true powers of the demon. She never knew he could do the Rinnengan before she challenged him, and frankly Sakura decided she didn't want to know the others. She heard tales of the Ten Tails before, how his eye used to be a crimson red before he was locked up in the sky, creating the moon and his eye turned to the Rinnnengan. But instead of being locked up in the sky, he was trapped within her. Sakura sometimes wondered what the moon truly was, and shuddered to think of the answer.

...It's the Sage of the Six Path's body that creates the moon...

His deep voice frightened her and she jumped in her seat, earning a concerned frown from the driver. She had not expected the demon to speak, because so far she had enjoyed the mission even though she 'bumped' into the demon's human form. Her stomach churned and she gripped the edges of the wooden seat so hard it crumpled beneath her hands and she murmured a quiet apology.

Sakura gripped the bag tighter to her chest, beads of sweat forming as her stomach churned. She expected to pass out any minute now, from the blazing heat and the pain inside her stomach, instead it stopped and her eyes widened, startled. There was a low hum, before the demon vanished and she sighed, leaning agaisnt the carriage. But a flickering image of the man appeared, his hand outstretched on top of him. She shivered and was glad as the image burnt from her mind and vanished, her grip on her bag loosening as she sighed.

"Nearly there!" the driver's chirpy voice broke her train of thoughts as she examined her surrondings. They were going down the mountain now, and from here, Sakura could see a great big forest full of wooden palaces perched on the gigantic trees. She climbed on the ceiling and sat next to Shikamaru, who enjoyed the beautiful scenary as his tousled hair drifted around his sleepy face as he fought a yawn. There was a comfortable silence except for the rocks skidded agaisnt the wheels as the carriage travelled down a dirty pathway before stopping in front big, wooden gates with two sleepy soldiers.

The soldiers immediatly woke up and stood as Rin came out, her eyes shining with happiness as the gates opened revealing a three women all wearing emerald green kimonos with their hair loose on their shoulders. One of them, the oldest one with waist length silver hair took the scroll from Shikamaru and wordlessly bowed low as they entered the beautiful region of Forest, full of wooden palaces perched on abnormally large trees. One of them, the grandest and most extravagant, made Sakura held her breath as she surveyed the place with awe in her face.

A short, grumpy man wearing expensive silks and brown sandals approached them, fuming with nervous bulky soldiers trailing behind him. But his mood instantly changed when he saw Rin running towards him with open arms. The man, who Neji presumed to be the Lord, hugged her with a gentle look in his face as he stroked the girl's crimson red hair. Shikamaru raised a brow and exchanged glances with Sakura, who shook her head so her pink tresses fell on her shoulders.

"Excuse me, you must be the Lord?" Neji said, breaking the silence. The man stared at Neji and his face turned a violent shade of red as he pointed an accusing finger at Neji. He, in return, took a step back as he sighed. In a way, Neji was expecting this, he had heard the man would hold grudges for an incredibly long, ridicolous time. Rin, Sakura and Shikamaru surveyed the scene with confused stares. Sakura looked rather bemused as the Lord looked ready to shout at Neji, who was glancing at them with pleading looks. Beside her, Shikamaru gave out a small snicker before he coughed, capturing their attention.

"Our payment, Lord?" he asked. The Lord's face turned back to normal as he took a step back, giving Neji one last scowl and glare before taking out three heavy sacks of coins. He tossed it, and all three of them catched it with ease. Sakura's eyes widened at the wight of the coins and smiled, thanking the Lord who scoffed at them before ushering Rin inside the palace. But Rin, being persistant, begged the Lord for them to stay for one night before they could leave for tomorrow.

The Lord frowned as he glared daggers at Neji, who tried his best to avoid his piercing gaze. Eventually, he agreed after Neji had told him he was part of the branch family, not the main Hyuuga. They were escorted to a large vast room with an ensuite bathroom and three canopy beds with wood carvings. Sakura squeled in delight at the sight of the big, soft bed and claimed the middle bed hers as she slowly began to unpack, enjoying the soft mattress underneath her tired body.

Neji dumped his bag on the bed before kicking off his shoes as he sighed, jumping on the clean bed. He felt the mattress squek beneath him and rolled to his side, to meet the lazy gaze of Sakura rolled to the other side, breaking their gaze as she stood up and headed outside. As much as the sound of laying on a soft bed sounded very appealing, she wanted to walk around the palace and examine her surrondings. Besides, she was bored and on the way she might get something to eat.

Sakura exited the room wordlessly without a warning, walking down the beautifully decorated hallways which she stared with awe and amazement. One room, the one that she aboslutely loved, was an open space with a bright chandelier in the middle of the floor, wax dripping down to create a beautiful orange glow. It captivated her attention and she could stand there for hours and hours, marvelling the beautiful sight that is until her stomach rumbled and she clutched it with emmbarrasment.

Her eyes darted around the room for any witnesses, much to her relief nobody was there except for her as she exited the room and ran down the flight of wooden stairs. The kitchen was around the servant quarters, where she popped her head inside the vast room full of bustling cooks and waitresses. The room fell silent when they saw her Konoha headband and quickly took out menus from the cupboards and eagerly smiled at them.

"What would you like, Haruno-sama?" one of them asked. Sakura jumped, laughing at the name they gave her as she told them to call her Sakura. Though Sakura was tempted to taste some exotic food, she knew that it would take a while and opted for some simple dangos and herbal tea. She was seated in the table, with an empty plate and an empty cup as she noticed the shy glances from the workers. Sakura meet the gaze of a young girl who was busy making some soup and smiled at her.

Sakura enjoyed to watch people work. The way the knives cluttered together, the way the water came rushing from the tap as they washed the dishes vigorously. The cook wiped a bead of sweat before she busily prepared dinner. The fresh dangos were poured into her plate with sweet sauce while herbal tea was poured into her cup and Sakura thanked the flustered maid, before eating as hunger overcame her. She felt their eyes stare at her and she wiped her mouth with the cloth, sipping her tea as she sighed.

"This is good" she said. The cook saluted her, a big grin plastered on her face as she averted her attention to her cooking. One of the maids came by, grabbing her plate and empty cup as they placed it in the full sink before Sakura exited the kitchen with a full stomach. It was a shame really, that good, kind workers could work under such a brutal man who had a strange disliking towards Neji. It was probably clan rivalry, she thought as she walked back to the room.

But as she was just heading up the stairs, there was a loud clatter of plates from the other corridor and Sakura paused, her eyes darting around before she cautiously crept inside the hallway. It was dim, lit only by flickering candles and one wooden door at the end where all the noise was coming from. She pressed her ear agaisnt the door, her reflection caught in the gilded mirror opposite to her. There was a quiet conversation inside, before there was a boom and a cry.

"I shall not marry!" Sakura recognised that voice at once. It was Rin, and as her sympathy for the poor girl grew, she began to unravel the Forest's clan's plans. Her father shouted at her, saying that it would be stupid if she did not. And at once, Sakura felt enraged that a girl like her should be forced to marry possibly a fat, greedy man twice her age. Gemato's face re-appeared in her mind and Sakura could remember how he looked at Rin. At once, she knew that Rin and Gemato must be in love.

They were shouting now, voices high pitched and Sakura took a step back, feeling nosy. It was none of her buisness, so why should she care? Sakura bolted down the corridor, before taking a right as she ran up the flight of stairs. In the corner of her eye, she saw Shikamaru on the open balcony, sitting down on a wooden bench with a cup of herbal tea beside him and she smiled. If anybody could take her away from all the stress, Shikamaru could do it in a blink of an eye.

He was lazy, yes but when you were around him-you felt oddly calm and at peace. Sakura tapped his shoulder gently and he twisted his neck to meet her gaze, giving her a lazy grin before Sakura sat down next to him. The view was spectacular, it showed the whole forest with wooden castles perched on the trees and bridges connected the trees. Sakura stared at the pale blue sky dotted with fluffy clouds and the sun burning brightly and gave out a small sigh full of bliss.

Shikamaru took a sip of his herbal tea before parting his lips and giving out a wistful sigh, stretching his arms above him before placing it on his lap. He took a sneaky glance at Sakura, who was staring at the sky with intense eyes before a soft smile settled down on her face and she lowered her gaze. To him, when he caught those rare moments of her being so lost in her thoughts, Shikamaru often thought if she was stuck in another world because she always had that faraway look in her eyes.

"Nice weather" Sakura remarked dryly, breaking the easy silence. Shikamaru nodded his head wordlessly before he finished his tea and stared at the scenary some more, his thoughts on how Konoha was like. He could vividly remember Konoha summers, which were no match with this one. The feel of the grass tickling beneath him, the cool breeze sweeping over him and the gentle sun beaming down at his skin was something he treasured because nowadays-there was hardly anytime to relax.

Rumours were flying that some secret organization of criminals had come back alive again. One of them, he had heard had already meet the old Team 7, nearly capturing Naruto. But of course, Sakura and Sasuke stepped in to help them, when Jiraiya came by and defeated the criminals. Shikamaru always wondered why trouble stirred up when Team 7 came around, but when your stuck with a loudmouth and an arrogant Uchiha-Shikamaru felt hard sympathy for Sakura.

"Where is Neji?" Sakura asked. Before Shikamaru could answer, soft footsteps filled their senses and Sakura turned around to meet the gaze of Neji, who nodded his head at her before sitting down at the balcony. A guard approached them, looking grim and uneasy as his armour clinked agaisnt eachother, disturbing the silence. He looked old, wrinkled and tired, with faint splatters of blood in his black pants. Sakura stood up, alerted as she exchanged worried glances with Shikamaru and Neji.

Before the guard could speak, there was an angry, strangled cry from below and Sakura rushed over to see what was going on. A thick crowd of people were gathering around the main entrance, trying to force it open. There were children as well, throwing rocks and stones at the strong glass windows. Sakura flinched when one of them spotted her, and an angry cry rippled through the crowd as they sneered insults.

"There is some trouble. Please help us" the guard begged, looking weary and tired. The three ninjas nodded their heads as they jumped from the balcony, earning startled gasps from the crowds. One of them, a grown man, threw a large rock towards Sakura's direction, in which she caught with great ease and crumpled it in her fist. The man whimpered, turning around as he ran away. The crowd pressed closer towards them, examining them with great interest at their shiny headbands and weapon pouches strapped around their legs.

Neji asked an elderly lady what was happening, in which she replied that the Lord had been taking all their money, leaving them to rot and die. Sakura shook with anger and she exchanged glances with Shikamaru, who leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Were sending a message to our Hokage, I'm sure she'd be happy to help" Sakura said kindly to the crowd. They cheered, arms flinging in the air as the crowd slowly parted their ways, leaving the leader of the pack-an elderly man and the lady who Neji spoke to. They thanked Sakura, offering them some food in which they declined as they made their way to the house. It was a wooden cottage, perched up in a high tree with a small fireplace. Shikamaru, who had more experience on sending messages, was sitting down in the man's study with a pen and a piece of creamy paper, looking determined to finish off his work.

The elderly lady told Neji and Sakura stories about the Lord's wicked deeds, how he banished the poor and unwanted and lavished himself with their hard earned money. Sakura and Neji wrinkled their noses in disgust, shaking their heads as they stared at the palace perched up on the biggest tree of the forest with burning hatred. Sakura wondered if Rin knew her father's wicked deeds, but her father seemed oddly fond with the girl so it might not be possible.

The lady said she didn't blame the young daughter, saying that there were rumours flying that Rin was doing her father's dirty work like doing a peace treaty with some neighbouring countries and clans. Neji thought of the message two years ago delivered in the Hyuuga compound and remembered the familiar crest of a great oak tree, and wondered if Rin had personally written that message. In his view, it was rather disgusting that a man was putting the pressure and responsibility on the young daughter.

"This place used to be beautiful. Rin-sama's mother was an angel" the lady said wistfully, looking lost in her memories. Sakura raised a brow at the new information, looking at the lady expectedly to share some more about Rin's mother. The lady smiled at her, pouring some green tea before she drank it heartily, her gaze never faltering from the wide, open window from the palace.

"Her mother was training to be a preistess, but that wicked man fell in love with her and forced her to marry him" she said, clenching her fists so tight the lady's nails dug into her palm and her knuckles turned a violent shade of red. Sakura saw the anger flickering in her eyes and a grim expression settled down on her features, no wonder that white temple was left alone to collect dust and weed. Sakura could vaguely remember Tsunade telling her a tale of a preistess who was a healer who lived high up in the mountains, living in a white temple with golden statues and rare, exotic plants and herbs.

There was a silence, except from the flickering fire and the gentle stirr of the green tea as the lady finished it and stood up, placing it in the sink. Shikamaru entered the room with a satisfied smile, giving them a thumbs up as the lady beamed at him, grateful for the message. Dusk fell, leaving the sky tinged with rose gold as lavender, blue and pink swirled around the sky, creating such a beautiful scene. Sakura smiled, remembering the time when she had surprised Tsunade by changing the colours of the sky. She had even shocked herself, and had spent many hours wondering how she did such a thing.

"I've sent the message, they'll answer back tomorrow" Shikamaru said. The three of them stood up, bowing low as they said their goodbyes and made their way back to the palace. Instead of being greeted by cheering soldiers for helping them, bulky samurais appeared and grabbed them, putting heavy chains around their body as they harshly dragged them by the ankles down to the sewage. Sakura screamed, feeling the rocks digging into her back as she thrashed around violently.

The chains were digging into her flesh, tearing it open as they tossed them inside the smelly sewers and locked the metal gates. Sakura wrinkled her nose in disgust at the smell and saw several pairs of floating skulls in the green, murky water and felt her stomach churn violently. Neji gagged at the sight of rotting bodies and hurriedly clung to the slimy walls, with Shikamaru shuddering next to him. Sakura walked towards them with great difficulty, since some of the water had turned to hard mush, when a cold hand shot up and dragged her ankles.

Sakura screamed, hands outstretched as Neji and Shikamaru tried to reach for her. For a moment, her fingertips brushed agaisnt Shikamaru's palms, but the hand dragged her forcefully now, making her float in the murky water as she withered agaisnt it's tight grasp. She breathed heavily, feeling sharp nails dig into her flesh as the chains slowly released their grip on her body. Now, with nothing to hold her back, Sakura kicked the hand and stood on the water, her eyes darting in search for the hand as murky water dripped down and clung to her clothes.

"SAKURA!" Neji shouted. She spun around, eyes blazing with fear when a large hand grabbed both of her ankles and pushed her deep under the murky ocean. Her muffled screams were covered whne she saw green vines sprout from the murky water and struggled agaisnt the tight grasp. Sakura kicked something hard and swam to the surface, coughing and spluttering as she swam towards Neji and Shikamaru. Neji grabbed her shoulder, pulling her up in the surface as he wiped the grease from her face.

There was a heavy silence except for sharp pants as Sakura felt hot tears stream down her face with relief. But the vines sprouted from the icy waves, lunging towards the three of them when it suddenly stopped, inches away from their faces. There was a low chanting, before a stream of light came bubbling inside the dark sewers and a beautiful lady with floor length silver hair, sapphire blue eyes and wearing a heavy, silk white robe entered, commanding attention. Sakura squinted, covering her eyes as she took a step back and stumbled.

The lady seemed to float on water, with a shining amber necklace around her neck as she approached the three ninjas with a long, thin cane with a big sapphire on the top. Neji held his breath, unable to believe that he was in a prescence of such a magnificent lady and bowed his head slightly. But Sakura recognized the lady immediatly, it was obvious and the resemblance was rather startling if you looked closely.

"Your Rin's mother" Shikamaru said, eyes wide with surprise. The lady chuckled and nodded her head, her long curly hair cascading down her shoulders as she pointed to the entrance with her cane. The gates were open, burnt on the edges by her bright light as they escaped with the lady in front of them, guiding them down tunnels and dark, damp corridors. She paused, holding a hand as they saw a stretched shadow of two guards making their way towards them.

Rin's mother murmured something underneath her breath, and the two guards fell to the floor with a soft thud. They slowly made their way over the bodies, creeping into the dark tunnels before they found a flight of uneven stairs and ran up. There was a round metal door blocking the light and Sakura pushed it, pumping chakra into her fists as it bursted open and they found themselves inside one of the many parlours of the palace.

"What is your name?" Neji asked as he stumbled inside the parlour, exhaling the scent of perfume and fresh flowers.

"Ryoko" she said simply, opening the wardrobe as she tossed Sakura some clothes. Neji and Shikamaru looked away as she changed, before she tapped their shoulders revealing her wearing a jade coloured kimono top with loose black pants. Her wet, squeky sandals were in the trash can and was replaced by wooden sandals while her wet, dripping hair was put in a messy heap on her head. Sakura wiped a stream of water from her hair in her collarbone and glanced at Ryoko, who nodded approvingly.

They opened the door quietly, before stepping inside the hallway as their foostetps were hushed by the plush carpet on the wooden floor. They ran up a flight of stairs, before turning around to walk down the corridor as they came face to face with a golden doorway draped heavily with crimson red velvet. Ryoko's face softened when she saw their family portrait and she gave out a sigh, tracing her fingers over the picture of Rin with a longing gaze.

"I'm going to meet my daughter for the first time in six years" she murmured, glancing away from the painting. Sakura saw the breif flash of pain in Ryoko's eyes and felt pity for her. Rin would probably hate her for lying to her face that she died all those years ago, Sakura thought as she and Neji and Shikamaru watch Ryoko tentively approach the golden doors before opening it. Rin was sitting down on a sofa, her beautiful emerald green kimono clashing with her hair as two suitors stood in front of her with the Lord sitting in the throne.

Rin's eyes widened and she released a strangled sob at the sight of her alive mother and stood up, pushing the suitors aside as she ran towards Ryoko with open arms. The Lord's eyes widened, stammering as he pointed a finger at Ryoko with a disbelieving frown on his face. The suitors exited the room, looking confused as they opened the golden doors and fled. Rin's eyes were brimmed with shimmering tears as she clung to her mother.

Sakura watched the scene with a soft face and wondered if she would ever meet Sasuke again. With a wistful, heavy sigh her eyes narrowed as she gave the Lord a piercing glare in which he returned back, sneering.

"Your supposed to be dead!" he snarled, pointing at Ryoko. Rin shook with anger, screaming insults at her father who jumped up in surprise, and looked hurt and betrayed by his daughter's actions. He ordered the guards to prison all of them, but none of them moved, instead they threw off their armour and tossed their swords aside. The Lord turned red with anger, livid as he hollered insults towards all of them, fist shaking.

Ryoko murmured something under her breath as she blessed the soldiers for their kind hearts, before dismissing them. The Lord trembled with fear as Ryoko dismissed Sakura, Neji and Shikamaru-telling them to wait outside. Since it was a private affair, Sakura obliged immediatly and they exited the vast room, shaking with excitement as they anticipated for something to happen. Suddenly, a group of ANBU lead by Kakashi appeared, and Neji sighed with relief.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura screamed, overjoyed. The silver haired ninja blinked, before laughing as he embraced his student and patted her on the head. His expression turned grim when the Lord opened the door, stripped from his title and fancy clothes and left to wear brown rags. He looked older now, pale and a sickly yellow complexion on his face as ANBU grabbed his wrists and forced him to wear heavy chains around his back.

"Hayate Forest, you are to be punished for your evil deeds. You are therefore banished from Forest and your title has been given to Ryoko-sama" Kakashi said coldly, forcing the man to walk down the hallway. Sakura shuddered, wondering what they were going to do before she saw ANBU take away Hayate. Kakashi ruffled her hair, earning a deep scowl as he thanked Shikamaru for sending the message about Orochimaru.

Ryoko asked Sakura if she could see her in private, and with a confused face Sakura agreed. They entered the vast throne room when Ryoko knelt down and took off her amber necklace, holding it in her hands as she placed it in Sakura's palms. Her emerald eyes widened as she tried to find the words, but couldn't utter a single word because of the shock of it all.

"Thank you" she said, smiling gently at Sakura before leaving her. Sakura clutched the amber necklace, before a fixed determination settled on her features and she tied the amber necklace around her neck. When Shikamaru saw it, he gave out a wistful sigh at the valuable piece of rock owned by the great preistess. He estimated that the rock alone could buy thirty mountains, possibly even more but at this stage-Shikamaru would rather not be doing math calculations. He could do it when they arrive back at Konoha.

The thought of entering the gates of his beloved village seemed very appealing to Shikamaru and Neji, and as they exited the Forest regions with cheering crowds and Rin and Ryoko, all of them noticed the sullen look in Sakura's face. Even Kakashi noticed it, and at first he thought that she just missed Rin and Ryoko but when they travelled nearer and nearer to Konoha, she seemed disgusted by the fact of entering the village gates.

And that's when it hit him.

Kakashi knew that she didn't want to go back because-

Of those memories.

He felt guilt swept over him when they reached the dock with ANBU trailing behind them. Kakashi was to absorbed in his own pain that his team was falling apart like his genin team with Obito, that he never noticed the physcological damage it done to Sakura's brain until she was forced to live in an asylum for seven weeks. It hurt so much that he re-joined ANBU, in hopes of forgetting those memories and his memories of his old genin team with Obito, Rin and Minato-sensei.

But the harder he tried, the more it didn't work.

It seemed like every street in Konoha held a memory of Team 7, and Kakashi could almost feel Sakura's need to get out of the village. He fished out some money to pay for his, Sakura's, Shikamaru's and Neji's travel fares as they slowly made their way inside the boat in an uneasy silence. The ANBU parted ways, since they had agreed to accompany Kakashi here before they would carry on their secret mission. Kakashi watched as the painted masks vanish through the thick crowd when the boat started to move and sighed, making his way to the cabin they were all sharing.

By the time he got there, he found Sakura laying on her back, looking pale and half dead and he was struck by the same memory when Tsunade had personally healed Sakura and Naruto after their failed attempt of dragging Sasuke back. The failed result ended making Sakura go insane and Naruto activating his Kyuubi when anybody dared to touch her, and Kakashi had heard rumours that they had been forced into the worst punishment of the interrogation ward when Sakura broke down and nearly killed Tsunade.

The punishment was making Sakura watch Naruto being beaten up by ANBU. And if she even shed one small tear, they'd slit his body and make him bleed. The thought made Kakashi sick to his stomach and after asking Tsunade if it was true-and she said yes, Kakashi had found himself spending more and more time in the bars, drinking his sorrows away. Sakura meet his concerned gaze and smiled at him. It made matters worse, because it was a sad, broken smile that could make anybody burst into sobs and hold her fragile body.

"I hate Konoha" she said, voice dripping with disgust and loathe. Kakashi shuddered at her tone slightly, before making no response as he sat on the bed opposite to Sakura's and gave her a weak smile underneath his mask. The boat swayed gently as it released a cloud of steam, before it rocked causing Kakashi to nearly lose balance. Sakura blinked, before laughing which startled Kakashi as he had never heard that sound for a long time now.

The last time she laughed was during their success of their first ever escort mission to the Land of Waves-which seemed like an eternity ago from where they were now. He ran a finger through his hair as the door creaked open and in came Shikamaru and Neji, balancing plates full fo delicious food. With help of Kakashi, they managed to purchase a ticket back to the borders of the Fire Country in much more better boat that served delicious food and was littered with rich merchants.

Sakura ate her meal, leaning agaisnt the wall as she tasted the food and smiled. The boat rocked gently and Sakura finished her meal, placing it on the floor before stretching her arms, exhausted as a sleepy yawn escaped from her mouth. She fell backwards, rolling to the side as she hastily put the blankets around her and closed her eyes.

...Izanagi...

It was as if the world split open.

Sakura found herself in an open, white space that quickly transformed into a fire chamber, dripping with thick lava and rocks. Though it was so hot here that her clothes clung to her and beads of sweat started to form, Sakura shivered as if a blast of cold air came in. But everything seemed to shrink when the man entered, his long hair cascading down his shoulders as his white mask shimmered agaisnt the lava's glare.

Suddenly, everything vanished and they were left in a beautiful, golden castle full of climbing red roses and sculpted statues. Sakura gasped, eyes wide as she marvelled the spectacular palace and smiled. The man enjoyed her appreciation and clicked his fingers and they suddenly found themselves in a vast round ballroom with a glass dome, the floor glass with water and fish beneath it with a massive golden chandelier.

The walls were entirely windows, draped with red velvet curtains that dropped to the ground. Sakura held her breath, unable to take everything at once as she found herself walking across the floor, twirling as a childish giggle escaped from her mouth. It was so beautiful the room, perfection was the definition for this place, so extravagant and splendid and sumptous. The air smelt of roses and plumes, and Sakura exhaled the scent and smiled.

"It's amazing!" she cried, eyes shimmering. She caught her reflection on one of the mirrors and her eyes widened, expecting the jade coloured kimono top, black loose pants and wooden shoes-she saw something entirely different. A girl stood, wearing a beautiful satin kimono the colour of the purest white, stitched with birdcages by golden thread. Her pink hair was adorned with red roses, it's brown stems curling in her hair.

Slow music of a harmony of violins and pianos and harps came, filling her ears as she turned around to see the man with his hand outstretched, gesturing towards the empty space in the middle. And when she touched his hand, it was as if something came alive within her, and she swept to the middle of the room where his large hands guided her. Sakura stumbled, before laughing as she countinued to dance.

At first, she was clumsy and kept on doing the wrong things. But when she felt the music seeping into her viens, and all she could think about was her, the music and the man she was dancing with-Sakura found herself dancing fluidly, the roses slowly falling one by one from her hair to the ground. The music stopped, and the lights dimmed down as the man took a step back, his great cloak swishing gently around him.

His eye meet her gaze and he swept around, vanishing into the shadows as the whole illusion faded, burnt on the edges before Sakura fell to the floor with a soft thud.

Sakura woke up with a start, her eyes flaring open as she sat up and hit her forehead with the low wooden bed on top of her. She winced in pain, clutching the throbbing bruise as her eyes darted around the room. It was dark, with a sleeping Neji on the opposite bed and Sakura could hear the faint rustle of sheets above her, deciding it was Shikamaru before she slowly crept over the bags and opened the door.

A stream of light flooded in, and she exited the cabin as she closed the door behind her. She needed space and air to think, to forget those memories of dancing with the human form of the beast. She shivered when a blast of cold air came past as she leaned agaisnt the railings, noticing the faint orange glow of the headlights of the boat and sighed. Why was he doing it? Was he mocking her by entertaining her? But it all seemed so real, the affection and the illusion.

...It's your Wonderland...

The demon's voice startled her and she jumped, gripping the railings as she lowered her gaze to the icy waters splashing on the boat's side. No matter how hard she tried to imagine, she could never bring herself to believe that the man was still the beast, just in a human form. But the idea of the demon, ugly and cruel who was the same man she had willingly let him make her gasp in awe and amazement was hard to believe, yet alone imagine.

...You can do it too, create beautiful illusions...

Her curiosity sparked and a thoughtful gaze settled on her face. Was it true? She supposed it could be possible, the man was trapped within her and was techniclly the beast and since Sakura could do any jutsu the beast could do, like summon his tail from her palm-could she actually do such a beautiful genjutsu? Sakura's eyes widened and a little sigh escaped from her lips as she stared at the sky filled with stars, shimmering as the moon's reflection in the waters caught her attention.

...You can also bring back people from the dead...

Sakura felt her blood run cold and she shuddered, leaning her forehead agaisnt the railings as she gave out a frustrated cry. Was this going to countinue, she thought, misery in her face. Was she going to grow up, never knowing her true abilities until the demon told her? The thought alone made her slam her fist agaisnt the railings as she spun around, eyes blazing with anger as she ran up the flight of stairs. She needed to eat and drink, needed to do something that could erase her unluckiness in the cruel world.

By the time she reached the canteen, she saw Kakashi sitting on a stool on the bar, drinking some alcohol and looking slightly flushed. Sakura's brow rose, she never expected to see her sensei drinking. He looked older, more defined by the harsh orange glow of the bar. She hesitated, before approaching him as she softly poked his shoulder. Kakashi twisted his neck and smiled at her, cheeks flushed underneath his mask as he turned back around to drink some more.

Sakura sat beside him, staring at the empty glasses around Kakashi and wrinkled her nose at the smell of alcohol. And at that moment, Sakura understood why he was drinking. She could see the pain in his eyes, how his posture was slouched as his eye stared at his glass before pouring more alcohol. Sakura realized that she and Naruto weren't the only ones inflicted with Sasuke's leave, and as she saw the old man Kakashi truly was, she knew they shared the unspoken pain.

Ah, how Team 7 has fallen.

Once they were bright, shaming the stars. Succesful and famous in Konoha, everybody knew them, everybody either hated them or envied them. But that perfect world cracked, when an evil reflection appeared, dragging a sword across the thin glass. And that evil reflection had taken a shard of their glass, breaking empty hearts and filling up bottles of tears and blood. She closed her eyes, remembering that moment when she had sent her chakra to Sasuke and he had done it back.

That one small hope had flickered inside of her, growing slowly and slowly. Yet Sakura didn't want it to crash again, to be left alone-scarred and crying and broken. She had done it once, and Sakura was supposed to learn from her mistakes. But those sweet moments of the feel of his chakra seeping into her viens made her hope so much, and she was frightened it would crash immediatly the minute she held it.

"I miss him" she whispered. Kakashi leaned his forehead agaisnt the table, trembling as he sat up and drank heartily. It was hard, because Obito and Sasuke were so alike yet so different-both Uchihas, both with the brightest of futures, both leaving him in two different ways. It hurt so bad, so bad that Kakashi drank his sixth cup of the evening and saw stars and felt euphoria overload his senses.

Sakura felt a tear run down her cheeks and wiped it with her arm, trembling as her legs shook. The memories of her getting a mental breakdown, losing her mind, the endless hallways of the asylum and the interrogation ward came rushing in. And she wanted so desperately to erase those memories, of her running down corridors and franticlly opening doors to find Sasuke, only to be heartbroken. Before Kakashic could drink his final cup, Sakura grabbed it and drunk it fiercely.

The good thing about alcohol was that it made you forget things.

Bad thing is you wake up feeling worse than ever.

The burning liquid ached in her throat, and before she knew it-she fell backwards on the cold, wooden floor.

"Sasuke...Naruto..." she whispered, and the final thing she saw was the hazy orange light and Kakashi's face.

Her senses shut down.

But deep within her mind, restless dreams came alive, laughing meerily.

Naruto. Sasuke.

"...what? You let her do that!"

Noises. Blur of brown, beige and silver.

Sakura's eyes flared open, meeting the white ceiling as she tilted her head to the side. Her mind was pounding, heart throbbing and her chest burnt, like somebody held a torch inside her heart. So this is a hangover, she thought dryly as she sat up, startling Shikamaru, Neji and Kakashi who rushed to her side. Neji held a hand to her forehead whilst Shikamaru was busily preparing some green tea. However, Kakashi stood, looking angered.

"Why did you do that?" he asked, voice full of anger and pain and sorrow. You already know why, Sakura felt like snapping. Her mind, heart and throat hurt and her chest hurt so much it was like a disease had spreaded across. The question hung in the air as Sakura raised her chin, a loose grip on her head as she glowered at him weakly.

"To forget" she whispered, a tear rolling down her hallow cheeks. Kakashi froze, eyes widening as he slowly shook his head, feeling pained. Shikamaru and Neji stood by, feeling like strangers who interrupted a private affair. Both of them, broken pasts and broken presents, looked at eachother wearily in a strange understanding way.

"To forget the pain, the memories, the tears, blood, sweat and rain" Sakura countinued, voice rising and wobbly. She scrambled to her feet, swaying as she gripped the table so hard her knuckles turned white. With her free hand, she pointed a finger at Kakashi as she shook with rage.

"TO FORGET THAT EVERYBODY LEFT ME!" Sakura screamed, crying hysterically as she fell on her knees. Kakashi shook, breath hitched on his throat as he looked away. She fell on her knees, looking tired and weary. And she was, tired of the pain everybody gave her, tired of being left alone in the shadows-forgotten. Sure, Neji gave her comfort but she craved for more, for comfort that came from two people she loved dearly. Who had left her for different reasons, forgetting poor, poor Sakura.

She sometimes felt like those orphan dogs, waiting for a new owner to bring her happiness. Except nobody would want her, and Sakura had to wait for the next five years until he appeared again, laughing and bringing warmth to her heart.

"To forget it hurts" she finally whispered, clutching her chest as she panted. Kakashi was pressed agaisnt the wall now, eyes wide and full of emotions and the sign of tears. Neji and Shikamaru held their breaths, startled by the whole scene. Neji watched Sakura's every move, the way her hair was messy, the way her eyes shone with so much emotion it made his stomach churn, the way she exposed the reality of her true self.

And it fascinated him.

Sakura was beautiful when she was sad.

Beautifully broken.

"I'm sorry" Kakashi whispered, walking towards her as he knelt down in front of her, hand on her messy hair. Sakura's eyes widened and she broke into sobs, leaning agaisnt his chest as her tears soaked his shirt. Her hands were twisting knots into his shirts, crumpling them in her tiny, fragile hands as she stared at Kakashi's eyes, looking like a lost child. The moon's rays streamed in, illuminating four pale, hallow faces.

Sakura glanced at Shikamaru, pushing Kakashi away as she murmured apologies under her breath, drinking the green tea in Shikamaru's hands before she headed out. The door slammed behind her as Sakura ran down the corridors, arriving right at the top as the sky cracked and rain poured down, soaking her and her tears. She closed her eyes, palms outstretched as she sent Sasuke's her chakra.

A pale green auro surronded her, and the warmth of her own chakra was like a cloak around her shoulders as she stood there, shivering as the cold rain dripped down and washed her body.

And then she felt it.

She felt Sasuke.

Sakura breathed heavily, cheeks flushed as she gazed at the distant mountains, covered in grey clouds.

"Sasuke..."

The journey back home was strangely pleasent.

After the curious events in the boat, the next day Sakura had acted as if nothing had happened, laughing and messing about with Shikamaru when he made dry, sarcastic remarks. And she was, because when she felt Sasuke's chakra running down her spine, she felt warm, alive and full of life. And even though it could only last a day, or even three days-Sakura would make sure she'd make it last.

They were in the borders of the Fire country now, clearing up the mess they left when they settled down the clearing for camp. The travels in the boat had gone by quickly than they could imagine, and soon they found themselves leaping on the trees. But the closer they got, the closer Sakura felt like vomiting wildly and fleeing from the village that held her memories and search for Naruto.

Sakura stared at the pale blue sky before her gaze settled in front of her, looking nervous as she wiped her hands agaisnt her loose pants. When she arrived in Konoha, Sakura would lock herself up in Tsunade's study, do some of the poisons before begging to be assigned to a long mission. The poisons and the weapons were the only things why she stayed in Konoha, it would be hard effort to try to smuggle the weapons and the poisons out of their places and escape from Konoha.

Besides, Naruto would never forgive her.

The thought of her happy, screaming best friend rushed in and filled her senses. And it almost felt like he was there, standing next to her, breathing into her air and smelling of ramen, moss and sweat. She shivered, brushing away the thought impatiently as she tucked a stray of her hair behind her ear, feeling the earth crunch beneath her feet before she leapt to one of the branches and ran alone, detatched from the group of Neji, Shikamaru and Kakashi.

She needed time to think. Sakura had enough money to buy herself a new house, but the problem was how was she supposed to transfer the weapons to her new house? She chewed her bottom lip, trying to formulate a plan. But nothing came to mind and she sighed, dropping her gaze to the dirty path beneath her as her hair whipped agaisnt her bare neck. Or maybe she could ask Shikamaru and Neji to help her. The thought could possibly work, Neji already knew about the weapons and Shikamaru would probably be to lazy to try and peek inside the boxes.

Only problem was how was she going to convince them?

Neji would be easy. He seemed oddly easy to manipulate these days but she didn't know about Shikamaru. She shot the Nara boy a sneaky glance before she dropped her gaze to the branches beneath her feet. It felt strange, how the world seemed to pass around her, while she stood still and stuck in a beautiful fantasy within her mind with a man she was supposed to hate. The memory of dancing inside the vast, magnificent ballroom. The scent of fresh roses and expensive perfume, their figures showed in every single mirror from any angle, their footsteps agaisnt the see through glass floor that showed an ocean beneath.

Sakura held her breath, and closed her eyes breifly. In a way, the man was handsome even though she couldn't see his face, tragic in a strange way and moved with the shadows as if he was with one. He was elusive, different and stuck in her mind and might be just her imagination. Maybe it was a sign that she was finally going crazy, but the man seemed to real, he breathed, talked and smelt like a human. Not like the ever immortal demon stuck within her.

The air was damp and heavy, cooling their hot, tanned skin from the harsh sun. There was a faint rustle of leaves, before a loud explosion happened and trees flew in the air, causing a great rapture on the earth. Sakura screamed, feeling a hand grab fistfuls of her hair as the hand flung her across the forest, before she saw a gleaming blade pressed tightly agaisnt her throat. She held her breath, feeling the blade drag across her throat creating a small trickle of blood rushing down.

A hand hit her cheekbones, and blood tasted bittersweet in her dry mouth as she coughed, forced to go on her knees, as they held her hair tightly. Frustrated tears streamed down as she struggled agaisnt the vice-like grip, shuddering when the blade was pressed closer to her skin. Neji, Shikamaru and Kakashi appeared, dust swirling around their shadowed forms as they held their breaths, careful not to make a move.

But Kakashi was quick, moving in such an incredible speed as he appeared behind Orochimaru and punched him from behind. Orochimaru dissolved into millions of snakes that sinked to the ground, before forming back in front of Kakashi and Sakura. His golden eyes gleamed with delight, the bloodied katana in his hands as he licked his lips and pointed the blade to Sakura. Suddenly, her whole world turned a pale purple, with fire around her as the katana was pushed deep into her heart.

Sakura knew it was a genjutsu, but deep inside she wanted to die. But when Naruto and Sasuke's faces appeared in her mind, Sakura's eyes turned a sapphire blue as the illusion vanished, burnt on the edges as it quickly vanished. Orochimaru seemed bewildered, examining her eyes closely with an interested face.

"Pretty eyes, I want them" he said, sneering. Sakura growled, taking out a tub of poison before drinking it. Her last encounter with Orochimaru had involved snakes, and this one probably did as well. A purple haze surronded her, and her sapphire blue eyes blazed with fiery determination as she took out a kunai, her fists shaking with anger. Orochimaru smiled, eyes shining brightly like his gleaming blade as he licked the blade, tasting Sakura's blood before laughing.

She shuddered, before charging and releasing an inhuman cry. The kunai was inches from his unfazed face, until Orochimaru dissappeared and re-appeared behind her, the katana in his hand. Sakura so badly wanted to rip his face with her kunai and tear out his heart while screaming insults at his face, begging him to return Sasuke back. Anger boiled in the pit of her stomach and she shuddered with pain.

The man in front of her broke Team 7's perfect glass.

Took a shard of it.

And left the mirror incomplete.

Sakura wanted nothing more than to watch the Snake bastard burn. Burn, die, burn and die.

"I HATE YOU!" she screamed, charging. Her left hand had gathered black chakra as it swirled around her palm, looking deadly like her expression as her eyes narrowed into slits, desperate for the blow to land on his ugly, stupid face. Orochimaru saw the anger, the pain and the emotion in her eyes and smiled, a sad smile as her face was inches from him, the Rasengan-like ball in her hand inches away from his stomach.

She would make a pretty doll in his collection.

"Another experiment" Orochimaru whispered, before vanishing. Sakura screamed out in frustration as Neji and Shikamaru ran to her side, with Kakashi busy trying to land a blow on Orochimaru. Neji took out some bandages, shaky hands fumbling as she pushed him away, hair cascading down her shoulders as she charged, eyes flaring with revenge and bloodlust. Her eyes were a shade darker of sapphire, the swirling black ball in her hands.

Kakashi eyes widened as she pushed past him, eyes blazing with clear fury as her hands were outstretched, desperate to land the blow on Orochimaru's heart.

"Yamiyo!" she screeched. She was so close, the Yamiyo burning Orochimaru's clothes, creating black fumes. But he leapt in the air, making the Yamiyo to dissolve in her hand as she shook with anger. Sakura would not let him go without any explanation, and as he slowly dissolved into purple flames, Sakura approached him, her whole body shaking with anger.

"WHY?!" Sakura shouted, tears rushing down her cheeks. She wanted nothing more to kill the man in front of her and pour her emotions out, tear open her heart and yell to the world what had happened to her. But they would do nothing in response, and the only satisfaction she would get was the sight of Orochimaru's bleeding, rotting body. So she kept it inside, and just screamed hysterically to replace those beaten emotions.

Orochimaru smiled, his face fading in the purple flames as he leaned, golden eyes shimmering agaisnt the sun.

"You breathed life into him. Put I'm giving him something he wants-revenge" he whispered.

The Snake Sannin dissappeared.

(Journey back home not so pleasent anymore)

By the time they reached Konoha, Sakura was a different person.

Orochimaru's words replayed over and over again in her mind, echoeing inside the twisted corridors of her heart, making their way deep inside. Did Sasuke really want revenge? Did he really leave Konoha willingly? Sakura closed her eyes, exiting the Hokage tower as she made her way to her house. She turned away from the cheerful and healthy streets to a dirty alleyway, walking down the steep steps before she turned around and walked down her street.

Her house loomed over her, an ugly shadow casting over her figure. Once, the house she lived in was beautiful, with painted walls and fresh flowers. Now, the paint was smeared with dirt, mud, blood and scrawly writings of pranksters. The front lawn was untidy, the weeds poking out of the rotten wooden fence and the doorway on the verge of losing it's grip on the door. Sakura kicked open the front door, and she saw dust coated on the furniture and wrinkled her nose in disgust.

She slowly made her way inside the kitchen, where she opened the bottom cupboard protected by heavy sealing to reveal steep, narrow stairs. Sakura slipped inside, running down the steps, occasionally stumbling across rocks because of the darkness. She reached the familiar wooden door, and she opened it with hastily with shaking fingers, trying to get inside her secret sanctuary deep underneath the earth where she could stop time and be left alone.

It opened, a gust of wind came billowing out and Sakura entered, turning on the light to reveal rows and rows of weapons inside their cases. It always shocked her that she could leave this weapons without cleaning them for a year, yet they'd still shine with their diamonds and not a speck of dust would be clinging to the blades or the sheilds. Sakura opened a cabinet, taking out the more prized weapons as she opened one of them, revealing the sword Neji held when he entered her secret sanctuary for the first time.

The whole room seemed to shrink at it's majestic beauty as Sakura held it, her hand tracing over the sword. If she could kill somebody with a sword made of gold, Sakura would make sure it won't be a low bastard like Orochimaru, but maybe those criminals of Akatsuki. Death by a beautiful sword, anybody would be honoured to have a funeral fit for a king. She closed her eyes, leaning her forehead agaisnt the blade as she gave out a strangled sob.

With shaky hands and a tear stained face, Sakura placed it back and before she could close the black case, a tear drop fell on the blade and ran down, creating a silver trail behind it. Sakura wiped it, before closing the case as she collapsed on the floor, leaning her head agaisnt the legs of the wooden table. She hissed, clutching her stomach as she shut her eyes tightly, making fat tear drops escape from her eyes as a sob escaped from her mouth.

"Why?" she whispered. The bag from her shoulders fell down and dropped to the ground, and she curled up in a ball as she rested her head on her bag. The cut on her throat was still there, since Sakura refused for it to be healed. Instead, she wanted to see what kind of death Orochimaru would have. A large slash agaisnt his throat, nothing more satisfying than seeing a rotting, dying and bleeding body of a man who destroyed your world, sent fire to it and left it to burn.

Oh Sakura couldn't wait to see that snake bastard again. It would be so pleasuring for her sadistic, insane mind that Orochimaru created to kill him and tear open his heart. In a way, Orochimaru had fashioned her into a beautiful, destructive monster in which the demon was very pleased with. His actions of dragging Sasuke away had left her broken and insane, and she had never been the same since. Because though she laughed, though she smiled-anybody could see those scars in her heart and the pain in her eyes.

"J-Just close your..eyes-no one can h-hurt you now" Sakura chanted, voice wobbly as she gazed at the floor, her hair sprawled around her face as she lay on the floor, her head resting agaisnt her bag. The light flickered, casting a shadow on half of her body as she lay down on her back, staring at the light without flinching.

"Just close your eyes...y-you'll be alright" she whispered, the words forming into the cold air before vanishing. Sakura closed her eyes, shivering as she wrapped her arms around her. She pulled out her cloak from her bag and wrapped it around her tightly, clutching it to her chest as she shut her eyes tightly. She wanted more than nothing to tear Orochimaru's guts out.

To sleep next to Naruto and Sasuke.

Underneath a blanket of shimmering stars.

With the soft grass beneath her.

Wanted nothing more to fill her satisfaction. To feel love, warmth and to feel like she was human.

A living one.

Ohh! Have to leave it right there.

Rather depressing some parts of this story! Sometimes I can't catch up with Sakura's many, many mood swings.


	20. Chapter 20

New chapter! Do not own Naruto by the way!

Light streamed in, casting shadows down her sharp cheekbones as her eyes fluttered open. Tsunade found herself inside her study, a pile of thick, dusty scrolls lay sprawled around her messy frame with her hair in a heap on her head like a halo. The curtain softly flew in the air as Shizune marched inside, determined to wake up the Hokage who groaned as she glared at the many sake bottles rolling around her. Hangover, hangover, hangover, Tsunade thought, softly cursing under her breath as she slipped on her heels.

"Tsunade-sama! You have paperwork!" Shizune said cheerfully, dropping the thick papers in front of Tsunade. She blinked, swearing before reaching over to grab her pen as she yawned, her stinky breath filling the air. Shizune scowled at the mess, picking up scrolls and sake bottles as she shook her head, a fond smile in her face. Yesterday had been hectic for the Hokage, ever since the message from Shikamaru saying they had been attacked by Orochimaru, in which Sakura managed to land a blow on-Tsunade had been worriedly picking out the best ANBU team with Kakashi.

Shizune could not understand Tsunade's fondness for Sakura. The Hokage spoke of her with admiration ("Can you imagine, a ninja of mine landing a blow on that snake bastard!") for her work in poisons and battle. Shizune had yet to see the Haruno girl in action, but had heard the rumours of the young girl being fantastic at poisons-something that was rarely acheived except for Tsunade's arch rival Chiyo.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Shizune replied with a happy voice as acceptance. A shadow stretched over the messy room, until a foot stepped in and Sakura rose her gaze to meet Shizune's surprised face. who beamed at her. Tsunade, who looked up from the mountain of paperwork with a misreable face, laughed at the sight of Sakura and beckoned for her to come closer as she pointed at the stack of neatly arranged poisons that was the only thing neat in the whole room.

Sakura's face immediatly brightened and she nodded, running towards the poisons as she put on some latex gloves before she furrowed her brows in concentration. Shizune bent down to collect a sake bottle, twisting her head to get a glimpse of the young girl before standing up, slowly making her way to Sakura. She watched with fascination as the girl freely dropped three pints of blue liquid, creating a yellow steam to come off.

"Why make a snake killer poison?" Shizune asked, genuinely curious. Sakura jumped, meeting her gaze as she hesitated to answer. In truth, she wanted nothing more than to kill those wretched snakes that had deadly venom in their teeth. And maybe, she had hoped it would be the same effect to Orochimaru. Tsunade hid a sad smile, knowing the girl's motivation to hunt after her teammate and kill the Snake bastard. Sasuke was lucky to have such determined friends, she thought as she thought of Sakura's and Naruto's determination and chuckled.

Before Sakura could answer though, an urgent knock came from the door. It opened without any permission, exposing a man heavily adorned with bandages and two unfamiliar shinobi on either side of him. Sakura saw Tsunade immediatly tense and stood up, a frown on her face as the heavy green robe slipped from her shoulders, the Yin seal shimmering proudly. The man eyed Sakura for a bit, his gaze challenging as he stared at the poisons before he murmured something under his breath.

Tsunade nodded gravelly, following the man outside as she shot Sakura and Shizune assuring glances. As the man turned around, Sakura's eyes turned a sapphire blue-startling Shizune as she watched with awe, taking a step back to view the girl's eyes. Danzou, head of Root, Sakura thought, tilting her chin upwards as her eyes narrowed. The man exited the room, shutting the door behind him with a soft click.

Sakura's focus turned back to her poisons, but she wasn't really paying close attention. Her mind was wondering about the man, what was Root anyway? she thought as she poured some cyrstals creating a beautiful, shimmering explosion she didn't notice. Maybe there was more to Konoho than she thought, that was the first thing she ever thought when she was kicked inside an interrogation ward and the asylum and the solitary cell. Maybe the village wasn't all shady trees and happy villagers, maybe there was something deeper, darker and more elusive.

...That's when Root comes in...

She jumped, startled by the demon's voice, accidently spilling some chemicals on the floor. The poison burnt the ground, creating a whole and Sakura softly cursed, bending down as she collected the poison in her hands, unaffected. Shizune held her breath as she absorbed the poisons, before complaining what a waste it was and creating some more, unaffecting that a deadly poison she had ever so casually collect in her hands was like collecting a piece of paper.

"How did you..." Shizune trailed off. Sakura lowered her head, looking ashamed. In truth, the demon was invincible to poisons, and his thick layer of chakra would protect her from the poison. This was hard to believe at first, but when Sakura once had accidently dropped deadly acid-forget what the deadly substance was and picked it up, nothing happened. Sakura ignored her question, countinueing on with her poisons as Shizune sighed in defeat and piled up more paperwork.

Sakura had come to the study in hopes to find Tsunade and ask her for a long, long mission. But her attention was the driven by the need to do her poisons, and that bandaged man had come inside and dragged Tsunade out of her study, making her oppurtunity that she wanted to grasp vanish away. She spent two hours with Shizune in a comfortable silence, with idle chatter every now and then on asking her if she wanted some herbal tea.

Shizune stacked the papers neatly, taking a step back as she nodded with a satisfied head. But when the door slammed open, creating the ground to violently shake, the papers fluttered to the ground and Shizune whined. Tsunade threw her hands in the air, frustrated and angry as she sat on the sofa in a heap and grabbed the sake bottle, opening it as she drank the liquid vigorously with murder intent. Sakura raised a brow and Shizune and her exchanged worried looks as they immediatly went to the Hokage's side.

"Damn Danzou..." Tsunade muttered, taking a large gulp of alcohol, causing her cheeks to flush a shade of red. Shizune imediatly went to her side, whispering questions in her ear as Tsunade pushed past her and stood next to Sakura. Her hazel eyes darkened as her gaze lowered to the poisons, the tips of her eyelashes brushing agaisnt the skin. Sakura blinked, placing the testing tube in the holder as she spun around, a concerned expression on her face.

A heavy silence hung in the air, so thick anybody could have great difficulty of cutting through it. Tsunade sighed, and for the first time Sakura saw those weary lines on her forehead, the dark circles under her eyes and the wrinkled skin on her hands. It was weird to see a much more older age of Tsunade, so when she sat down the sofa and aged in an old lady with wrinkles and blemishes, Sakura jumped, holding her breath.

She felt sympathy for Tsunade, knowing it was not hard to catch up with the political and financial problems. Danzou seemed to be the pinacle of her problems, because when Shizune whispered his name-the Hokage blew up and released a strangled cry as her age went back to a young, beautiful lady who seethed with rage as she gripped the edges of her emerald green robe. Shizune whimpered, reluctanty fishing out a sake bottle from the cabinet as she handed it to the furious Tsunade.

"THAT MAN!" she screeched. Sakura raised a brow, chewing her bottom lip as her eyes darted between Shizune and Tsunade. Sakura jumped when Tsunade placed a hand on her shoulders, looking tired and weary as she tilted her head downwards, causing her fine blonde hair to spill across her shoulders as Shizune looked on with a worried face. The light streamed in, blinding Sakura's eyes as she hissed in pain and sheilded her face with a hand.

Tsunade groaned with annoyance, flinging the thin papers in the air as she sat down and ran a hand through her tangled locks. A ninja came in, wearing a painted mask with a tattoe on his shoulder as he briskly bowed low to Tsunade before tossing Shizune a thick scroll. She catched it with ease and dismissed the ANBU, handing the scroll to Tsunade who wearily took it and opened the green rope around it with hasty fingers.

There was a heavy silence as her hazel eyes darted across the thin, creamy papers of the scroll and she sighed in frustration, anger boiling up within her. Sakura held the tiny plastic tube in her fingers as she poured some crystals and herbs into the poison, before taking off her latex gloves and sitting next to Tsunade, peering through her shoulder as she tried to read the scroll. Tsunade closed the scroll and stood up, taking some scrolls from the shelves as she shoved it inside a leather bag before throwing it towards Sakura's direction.

Sakura catched it, a confused expression on her face as she struggled to carry the bag and placed it gently on the ground next to her. She watched as Tsunade carefully stashed the poisons inside a black, thin case before clicking her fingers and pointing at a nearby shelf. Shizune nodded, running towards the shelf as she pulled a blue book and the shelf opened, revealing a metal thick safe as steam released from the safe.

"Open it" Tsunade commanded, authority in her voice as she opened a cabinet and took out some herbs, placing them inside glass jars. Shizune hesitated, before unlocking the safe as a cold breeze came billowing out. Inside the safe was rows and rows of rare, exotic plants and herbs, beautiful and deadly at the same time with healthy stems and fragile petals. Sakura held her breath as Tsunade took some of the plants, placing them inside special black jars that kept them preserved before placing them inside another black case.

Sakura was wondering what was going on, her confused face shone agaisnt the pale orange light inside the safe as Tsunade placed the black cases inside the leather bag next to her. She and Shizune exchanged worried glances as Tsunade rubbed her temples and closed her eyes, shoulders slumped forwards as her hair cascaded down her shoulders. Shizune softly closed the safe, pulling the shelf over it as she sighed and lowered her gaze to the ground.

"Haruno Sakura, I am assigning you to an S-Rank mission from the orders of me and Danzou" Tsunade whispered, taking a long sip of the sake bottle in her fingers as she rubbed her bleary eyes. Sakura's eyes widened, her fingers shaking with excitement as she tried to make sense of it all. Was Tsunade really sending her off to an S-Rank mission? But her suspicion increased when she thought why was she the one going? Why couldn't another person do it?

But she was happy nonetheless to escape from the village with her poisons and some herbs intact. Sakura knew she'd spend misreable days going back and forth from her apartment and Tsunade's study, never seeing the sun or the beautiful scenary of Konoha. Her excitement grew as she wondered where she was going, and as she grabbed the two leather bags and swung it over her shoulders carefully, Sakura wanted nothing more than to leave now.

Tsunade saw her excitement and frowned, deep lines appearing on her face as she cleared her throat and stood up, straightening her crumpled clothes before she took the scroll that lay in the sofa, unbinded the rope and released a seal inside it. A thick document appeared on her lap and she sighed with satisfaction, opening the file gently as she flicked through the pages until a big picture of Sakura appeared, with intel underneath and some attatched pictures of her poisons.

She took out a slim folder from Sakura's intel document and handed it to Sakura, who catched it as she opened it. There was a creamy paper filled with information about her new mission, saying she was to be accompanied by ANBU and Root on the way to-

"Suna?!" Sakura cried in disbelief. Tsunade nodded, as if she shared her pain and sighed, dropping her gaze. Sakura couldn't believe it, she was being sent on a mission to a village that tried to invade her own village? It was a death mission, anybody who saw her Konoha headband would freak and instantly kill her on the spot. Or worse, kick her in the interrogation ward or a solitary cell and try to get some information about Konoha.

Tsunade saw the pain flicker through her features and cursed under her breath. She knew Danzou wanted to send Sakura off to Suna to help build an alliance with the Sand country and soften the rivalry between her and Chiyo. It was disgusting how the man could step from the shadows and meddle into her buisness, disgusting and infuriating. Tsunade did not want one of her most exceptional ninjas to be sent out on a mission that was too dangerous for them. The girl was thirteen and she was being sent out on S-Rank missions? Tsunade could laugh at the idea if it was not real.

But she knew Sakura would complete and do the mission anyways. Tsunade knew she didn't want to spend a minute longer in Konoha, not with all those memories drifting aloft and haunting her every step. Besides, the girl was exceptionally strong-strong enough to even beat Tsunade. She could still remember her shock when she saw the Yin seal on Sakura's forehead, how she seemed to change the sky colour and heard rumours of her being incredibly strong.

Yet, what interested Tsunade more was the rumours of her possibly controlling the Kyuubi. She had heard Sasuke nearly die on Team 7's first escort mission, heard how Naruto went insane and used his Kyuubi and how Sakura just seemed to place a hand on his chest, and how Naruto went back to normal completely. Until she had heard that rumour, Tsunade never knew that controlling such a beast was even possible.

"It's a peace treaty. Your being sent out as the representative" Tsunade said. Sakura paused, before a smile settled down her features as she couldn't help but grin proudly. Tsunade thanked the gods for her bliss ignorance and managed a weak smile, which failed misreably as she distracted herself by shuffling through the documents. Tsunade couldn't help but feel a flicker of worry inside of her grow as she imagined Chiyo's face. The old hag was a handful, extremely mean and bitchy ever since that grandson of hers ran off and joined Akatsuki, Tsunade thought dryly.

But Tsunade respected Chiyo. And Chiyo respected her. They had an unspoken agreement to countinue their rivalry just for the sake of old times, since they had bickered with eachother ever since they had started to learn medicals. But Chiyo wanted to make poisons, antidotes and puppets whereas Tsunade wanted to heal and save people's lives. Years had fashioned them into one of the 'greats' of the ninja universe. Herself being the best healer and Chiyo making the best poisons.

Too bad Sakura's probably better, Tsunade thought dryly. She could vividly remember her shocked expression when Sakura had dealt with poisons as if they were children's toys, seemed so mature and serious and always made beautiful, deadly poisons. Imagine Chiyo's old face when she sees one of her best students in action, Tsunade thought as she watch Sakura talk excitedly to Shizune. It would make a great first impression that not only Suna were good at poisons, but Konoha was as well.

"Your leaving tomorrow at four am sharp. ANBU and Root will be waiting in front of the gates, where they will run through security check and double-check if you have all the equipment you need. You are dismissed" Tsunade said curtly. Sakura nodded, before dissappearing with the two large, leather bags in a blur of black petals.

She opened the cupboard, making a slant of sunlight stream in as it showed the steep, narrow steps. Sakura ducked her head, walking down the stairs as she softly closed the cupboard door behind her and showered the stairs with small, clay bombs she made when she was a child. The clay exploded, showering the place with streams of multi coloured sunlight and Sakura smiled, walking down the steps carefully.

"No-" she was interrupted when Sakura slid down a smooth part of the stairs, falling forwards head first. She screamed in agony when her back came in contact with the wooden door, and balls of grey dust swirled around her as the blood rushed to her head. An ugly bruise appeared on the curve of her spine, blood trickled down her wounds from her knees and her face, which had scraped agaisnt the floor, held an ugly scar on her left cheek.

Her body throbbed painfully, and she hissed in pain as a sob escaped from her lips. Sakura tried to stand up, but found that her legs were paralyzed and opened her mouth in horror. A shrill scream escaped from her lips and she cried, thrashing about wildly as she helplessly stared at the top of the stairs, where the cupboard door was slightly open, only making a small amount of light come in.

The ugly truth dawned to her that she was stuck, and Sakura was never going to be found and never going to do the mission tomorrow. She clenched her jaw, crawling slowly as she hissed in pain and gripped the stairs with shaky hands as she tried to crawl up the stairs. Her hand slipped and she fell backwards, and Sakura cried out in pain and arched her back, feeling a burning sensation make it's way up her spine.

"HELP!" she screeched in a raspy voice. Her voice only echoed back at her, and she felt her confidence drain and cried. Droplets of water came dropping from the corners of the damp areas, the places was thick of cobwebs and dust. The warm red liquid dripped down on the ground, and she felt her vision blur as the edges of her eyesight was slowly fading into black, burnt edges. The last thing she heard was a shout, a blur of silver before everything vanished.

"...she's obviously unfit to do this mission! Look at her!"

A flash of green and blur. White and the gentle sound of beeping.

Sakura flickered her eyes open, seeing the dark sky full of shimmering stars and Kakashi and Tsunade bickering at eachother with hushed, yet angry voices. Her anger burnt deep inside her as she heard Kakashi's bitter voice. His eyes widened when he saw her, awake and well and immediatly rushed to her side.

"Your not going on this mission" he whispered. Sakura seethed with rage, inching away as he tried to patt her head. It was disgusting, how her own sensei had neglected her during the chuunin exams, only concerned for Sasuke and Naruto, completely forgetting about her. And now that her teammates were gone, did Kakashi really think he could march into her life and meddle with her buisness?

She wanted his sympathy a long time ago, didn't receive it and ran away. Now she wanted nothing more than to push Kakashi away, scream insults at him and pour her heart out at the pain he caused her. Kakashi looked at her with concern, the corners of his eyes turning into wrinkles as he placed a soft hand on her head. Sakura frowned, shoving him away and catching him off-guard as Tsunade raised a brow, her eyes darting back and forth between Kakashi and Sakura.

"Get away from me" Sakura hissed in a low, hoarse voice. She pushed the hair from her eyes, glaring at Kakashi with so much hate he stumbled at his feet. Sakura felt a surging pain from her stomach and growled, her dry lips parting open to release an inhuman sound. Kakashi was shocked, it was not the reaction he had been expecting. He had tried to find Sakura, ask her if she wanted to eat some ramen with him and found her inside a dark tunnel, passed out with blood around her.

He had freaked out. Shouting at curses and hurrying to the hospital, begging to see Tsunade until he was allowed access and had to wait for two hours straight. And this was the thanks he got? Kakashi narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms in a huff as he tilted his side, expecting an explanation. Sakura sneered at him, tearing the bedsheets with hasty fingers as her hair was stuck to her skull.

"You are not goi-" he was interrupted when she bolted from the hospital bed, her gown billowing around her ankles and her hair tumbling down her shoulders.

"Don't underestimate me because I'm wearing a hospital gown!" she roared, slapping his across the cheek. Kakashi took a step back, shocked as he turned around and roughly grabbed her wrists and pulled her to the hospital bed. She screamed, holding a hand up as a fat, black tail escaped and gripped Kakashi so tight he could barely breath. Tsunade shouted with horror, trying to pry the tail away from Kakashi with desperate fingers.

"I HATE YOU! YOU IGNORED ME! CHOOSE TO TEACH NARUTO AND SASUKE!" Sakura screamed, sobbing and crying as the tail tightened it's grip. Tsunade was shouting orders now, trembling with fear as Sakura broke down, her hair flying everywhere as she started to cry. Kakashi fell limp, eyes downcast with guilt at the truth of her words. It was true, he had neglected her during the chuunin exams, much interested in Naruto and Sasuke's progression. But he had hoped he could earn her trust again, and Kakashi feared it would be too late.

Her spiteful words seemed to echo through his mind, over and over again until the words were printed on his brain. Tsunade shouted something he couldn't hear, for the lack of oxygen left him dizzy and his eye sight blurry. The tail loosened and Kakashi fell on his knees, breathing and panting heavily as he gripped the hospital bed. Sakura was crying, screaming insults at him as Tsunade hugged her, running a hand down her back in a comforting manner.

"Y-you just think that s-since Naruto..and Sasuke are g-gone..you can meddle into m-my life" Sakura said, voice wobbly as she gripped Tsunade's green robe. Tsunade touched her pressure point, and Sakura fell limp in her arms as the Hokage carried her away. Kakashi was left alone, sitting on the red sofa as he ran a finger through his messy, tangled locks and released a frustrated groan. Everything was messed up now, broken and mouldy on the edges-Sakura was crying, Naruto was hiding and Sasuke had ran away.

Tsunade returned a few moments later, looking worried and anxious as she sat down on the hospital bed and smoothed the creased bedsheets. There was a heavy pause, thick and full of tension as the window slowly opened, letting out a cold air as Kakashi shivered and stared at his hands on his lap, idly kicking the floor with guilt and pain in his face. Tsunade was anxious, she wondered whether she should let Sakura go or not. But ANBU and Root were accompanying her, Kakashi could come but Sakura would probably refuse to go-and it wasn't like Tsunade had another talented ninja who specialised poisons, and there was no way in hell was she letting Shizune go for a two month mission.

"She's still not going" Kakashi said suddenly, but his voice and face was unsure. His shoulders were slouched forwards, and suddenly Tsunade felt a raging anger within her. He was in no such position to say such a thing, sure Tsunade disliked the idea of sending her talented ninjas do a dangerous mission-but Danzou would blackmail her in every, single, possible way imaginable. Besides, Tsunade had heard the pain Kakashi had inflicted on Sakura by neglecting her, too busy to focus on the boys.

How could he ignore such talent from a bright ninja? Tsunade thought in wonder. It was never unnoticable to never see the talent, the passion and fiery life within Sakura's dazzling green eyes. But lately, her eyes were clouded with such agony, pain and terror-as if she bore harsh, deep scars that even Tsunade could not heal. She could remember vividly when she was just like Sakura, bitter about the loss of her loved ones. It left her bitter, cold and distant-that is until Naruto came past and inspired her with his amazing attitude.

"Your not in such of a position to say so. I'll be watching you closely if you even dare look at Sakura" Tsunade said coldly, her hazel eyes shrouded with steel. Kakashi nodded wearily, sighing as he silently left the room. He paused, leaning agaisnt the doorway before he dissappeared in a cloud of grey, ash smoke. Tsunade heard the faint rustle of sheets next door and ran to the room, finding Sakura wrapped around a blanket, perched on the windowsill with her forehead agaisnt the cool window. Her left leg was dangling and bare, her hospital gown riding up her waist, crumpled and thin.

Tsunade smiled softly, leaning her head agaisnt the door frame.

"I'm sorry" Sakura whispered.

The sand swirled around his feet as his jade eyes scanned the area, before he dropped his gaze and spun around. The sun's golden rays splashed agaisnt his unusually pale skin as Gaara looked on underneath the mass of unruly, red hair with the familiar tattoe on his forehead. The warm air spun around him, running through his red locks as he walked down the stairs with two Sand ninjas close behind him, their headbands shimmering agaisnt the pale, orange light.

Ever since the council had announced himself for the two year training program to be the next Kazekage, Gaara had been strangely nervous. But when the council had told him Konoha had offered a peace treaty, and a representative was coming over to do some research with Chiyo and carry out the peace treaty-Gaara was struck with suspicion. Why, he asked himself, would Konoha make the first move to offer a peace treaty? He always thought it would be his land to offer it first, since they were the ones who had invaded the village anyways.

The soft murmur of voices came from the vast meeting room, and Gaara entered before taking a sit in the shadows. It was his job to observe the ways of the council, because sooner or later it would be Gaara's turn to be sitting on that large wooden chair with the Kazekage hat on his head. That dull throb of his heart drummed agaisnt his chest, and he gripped the edges of his shirt as his eyes darted back and forth between the two bickering council males.

Chiyo stepped forward, silencing the council with her authority and icy stare. Not a man dared to speak back at Chiyo, for she was a legend. Her name alone was spoken in a whisper full of admiration or fear. But Gaara had never found the woman scary or frightening at all, he saw the pain in her old, dull eyes. Seen the life that once danced in her eyes, but now was shrouded with bitter hate as if something had happened to fashion her into a distant lady.

"I want to see this 'exceptional' student of Tsunade's" Chiyo declared, sitting on the chair. Her robe spilled across her legs, and her old, worn face was unmoved as her fingers drummed agaisnt the wooden table impatiently. There was an anxious murmur rippling through the crowd, before one of them stood up and cleared his throat. Next to Gaara, Baki held a thin folder in which he passed on to the man who stood up.

The council man flicked through the pages, until a picture of a girl landed that was covered from Gaara's prying eyes. Chiyo was given a sample of the folder, in which she read with great ernest before releasing a laughter that shocked everybody.

"That Tsunade-hag, I'll be expecting her student to come!" Chiyo shouted, eyes dancing with glee before she left abruptly. The council stirred, speaking in hushed voices before one after one, they exited the vast meeting room. Gaara raised a brow, surprised at the meeting. Every meeting he had been to was long, but this one didn't even last fifteen minutes. It seemed like Chiyo held power over the council, and Gaara admired her bold authority and pride.

In a way, it reminded him of Naruto-who had changed his intentions drasticlly. The blonde boy had breathed life to him, and Gaara knew that he had to sort out his messy life. He could remember that unspoken bond between them, the same experience and pain as two demon vessels who had been hated. But Naruto had grown up, got over the past and was still so happy and bubbly-something that Gaara admired so much.

He left the room, dissappearing in a cloud of sand, hoping to escape Baki and his bodyguards. Gaara needed some air, after the thick tension of the meeting hall. Temari and Kankarou had gone off in different directions, Temari doing a long mission with Kankarou too busy and caught up with helping some students on learning how to master the art of puppetry. At first, Gaara felt a bit hurt that his relatives were going off and leaving him with a tense training program, but he grew up relieved that they didn't see him at his most emmbarrasing moments.

Gaara arrived at the rooftop of the Kazekage tower, sitting down on the edge leaning agaisnt the black, cold railings. His proper training would start when the representative from Konoha would arrive, and the days of sitting in the shadows and observing closely would be over. It would be Gaara's turn to step into the spotlight, to be judged by his power, attitude and grace in high society of Suna and noble clans and how to make allies with countries such as Konoha and Cloud.

It was frightening. But so exciting at the same time.

The throb of excitement in her heart pounded wildly agaisnt her chest, and as Sakura neared closer and closer to the gates and saw the thick bunch of ANBU and Root clustered together, she felt the grip on her leather bags tighten. She shyly approached them, gaze down with Tsunade proudly marching behind her and barking out orders, saying there was no need for an identity check because she swore on her life it was Sakura.

Sakura could feel the stares of the ANBU and Root, and could vividly imagine their surprised faces at how young she was. She heard a faint murmur of talk, before she was ushered to the middle of Root and ANBU with her two large duffle bags beside her. She twisted her shirt into knots, waving goodbye to Tsunade and beaming at her as her left leg jingled with excitement. The ANBU took her leather bags silently, before they waited as Tsunade whispered in their ears.

Soon, they set off in a quick pace that Sakura managed to keep up with. She could feel the sneaky glances of the ninjas as they sped past the shady trees, their cloaks billowing behind them like large, flapping wings. Sakura heard the trickle of a nearby stream, and her dry throat seemed to yearn for it. But she didn't want to be a nuisiance, and to be slow amongst shinobi who obviously had high expectations, so she lowered her head and kept silent.

But the drum of her heart rang in her ears repeatedly, and she could feel her palms sweat. She was chosen as a representative, had to be the one to sign the peace treaty under Tsunade's name and was going to have a two month training with the great Chiyo. Sakura couldn't believe her luck, she decided it would be good publicity for herself and Konoha, and would obviously impress Suna's cold council.

Yet, what scared her the most was bumping into Gaara. The guy succesfully killed Sasuke and Naruto, and if it weren't for the demon, they would still be dead. Not Naruto, because he has the Kyuubi within him, but most certainly Sasuke. And it was extremely awkward, considering that he had underestimated her power and in result she had sealed the Shukaku back within him. He would be raging with uncomfortable questions she couldn't answer, and it would be very difficult for her indeed.

Sakura just hoped he would forget. Nobody knew she had sealed the Shukaku within him except for herself and possibly Gaara-Sasuke and Naruto were passed out then, and she was the only one left fighting for her life. But rumors were flying, the whispers were growing louder and louder until they were hisses, full of fear or awe. It frightened her if anybody could realize her true identity, but with the demon's constant rare assuring, Sakura doubted that anybody could find out her real identity.

"Were to meet five Sand ninjas in the borders" a voice rang out, breaking the silence that came from a man. Sakura nodded briskly, trying to keep up as she felt her calf strain with the effort. One of the Root ninja wearing a simple white mask saw her discomfort and immediatly came by her side, grabbing her and adjusting her on his back. ANBU tensed, before relaxing at the Root's effort and nodded.

Sakura blushed in emmbarrasment, but admired the man's sharp eyes. Maybe Root wasn't such a bad organization, maybe Danzou was just a bad leader, she thought as the boy carried her easily. But the way his dark, unruly black hair, his pale complexion underneath the hair and the feel of his hands gripping around her knees protectively reminded her of Sasuke. The ache in her chest was hard, twisting into tight folds until she could barely breath.

They paused as the leader of the Root and ANBU group whispered in eachother's ears. They both nodded in agreement, before they resumed their journey and headed west. Tsunade had said the journey would only last for two days, two days and a half if they were quick. She could hear the distant clatter of katanas banging agaisnt their cases, but Sakura's eyes were firmly on the boy's head.

And that's when she realized it.

"Sai?" she whispered, surprised. The boy didn't flinch, merely nodded as Sakura broke into a grin. She had never seen Sai ever since her house arrest, and missed his silent company and his beautiful drawings. She peeked inside his bag, seeing the sketchpads and the paints and smiled softly as she sighed. At least she would spend the journey with Sai, somebody she knew and had a strange friendship with.

Yet it hurt. Because he resembled so much like Sasuke. But in different ways, he was always different than Sasuke. So socially awkward, friendly and sarcastic without even knowing it. But what caught her off guard was that he didn't feel anything and his childhood was a blur of faded black and white unimportant memories. After a few hours passed with non stop journeying, Sakura managed to reassure Sai that her leg was fine and started to leap through the trees with newfound energy.

The excitement of doing an S-Rank mission drummed agaisnt her, and she couldn't help but feel imensely proud. The soft rustle of leaves interrupted her train of thoughts, and she stumbled over her foot before she felt a surge of pain in the pit of her stomach. ANBU and Root exchanged concerned glances, but Sakura could hardly care now. The pain echoed through her veins, running up and down her bones quicker than any flooding stream.

It seemed like her worst nightmare came alive. She could hear the demon hiss in pain, and all around her, purple flames erupted from the ground, covering her, hovering around her as they slowly closed around her. Sakura found herself in a dark sanctuary, the ground opening up, cracking open as a fire chamber appeared down below, hot lava dripping through crumbling stones. She screamed thrashing around wildly, before everything vanished.

...Madara and Obito...

Everything hurt. But it was such a relief to find herself back to normal, such a relief she could cry. She was shaking now, trembling violently as she shot ANBU and Root a re-assuring smile before leaping through the trees with shaky knees. The demon had sensed something, a chakra, chakra that was owned by somebody powerful and strong-two faded, crumpled shadowy figures a hundred miles away.

And both of them had crimson eyes.

Sakura could hardly remember the two and a half day journey. It was a blotch on her mind, full of white streaks and black and white, crumpled images. By the time they reached Suna, she had passed out in a moment of exhaustion and the unbearable heat burning her skin, her clothes sweaty and clinging to her body. The sand went in her eyes, drying on her skin, mixing with the sweat and blood of old wounds opening up.

She was a terrible sight, half covered with sand and blood, sweaty and weak. They had survived a sand storm attack in the middle of the desert, woke up to find themselves scattered everywhere, but the poisons, herbs and plants safe for Sakura had held it in a moment of desperation. The sand storm had left her memory blotchy of the journey, but nothing serious like forgetting about Konoha.

Or the pain.

She wished it could erase the pain.

Her eyes fluttered open, revealing a bare white ceiling with a soft mattress beneath her body. The gentle squek made her awake, and she scrambled to her feet and slipped on her sandals, searching hastily for the two leather bags. Much to her relief, they lay beside her bed and she sighed, sitting down on the bed as she ran a finger through her hair. It was at that moment she realized somebody else was in the room, and she tensed.

Gaara met her gaze, and she jumped-startled beyond belief. His jade eyes meet hers, and they stared at eachother as moments passed before he cleared his throat, shuffling his feet with obvious dicomfort. Sakura narrowed her eyes, anger boiling up in the pit of her stomach as she hissed at him, the demon's chakra slowly building up tension. Gaara stood up abruptly, grabbing her wrists roughly as he slammed her agaisnt the wall.

His eyes stared deep into hers as he chewed his bottom lip, eyes blazing. He didn't want her to see him as a monster, the monster who had nearly killed her teammates, the monster who came alive that day, destroying everything in it's path with a sadistic grin. Sakura fell limp, sobbing as she stared helplessly in his jade eyes, bottom lip quivering as her shallow breaths fanned his neck.

"I'm sorry, I u-understand" she whispered. Gaara felt his eyes widen and he released the grip around her wrists and took a step back. He saw the pain in her eyes, and felt his heart twist with pain and guilt. It was horrible, because the sand sphere was aimed for her heart-but at that small moment, her teammates had stepped in to embrace the blow. Gaara didn't want to be the monster in her brain, the one who ruined her entire life-but when she said that word 'understand' he felt a flutter of hope build up.

The room was deathly silent as she wiped her tears away and roughly grabbed the two leather bags, bowing low politely that shocked Gaara. He was about to ask why she was doing such a thing, when Baki and Chiyo entered the room without a knock. Chiyo examined Sakura with a withering stare, before breaking into a laughter as she whipered something in Sakura's ear. The girl smiled gently, nodding as she trailed after Chiyo.

Baki saw the lines in Gaara's forehead but didn't comment, instead he cleared his throat as he tossed a scroll towards Gaara. He caught it with his sand, opening the creamy paper as his eyes quickly scanned the scroll before he nodded grimly. It was to be decided, the scroll said in thick, spidery handwriting. His training program to be the next Kazekage begun now, when the representative of Konoha would first lay her eyes on him.

His training was to start now. Gaara trailed after Baki, the scroll firmly on his hands as he stared at the path ahead of him with a fixed determined face. He felt his heart hammer in excitement as he stepped inside a vast meeting room, the cold faces of the council staring at him with anticipation as he stepped into the spotlight, standing in the middle with the scroll in his hands. Next to Chiyo and the eldest of the council was Sakura, hand poised over a peace treaty paper.

She meet his gaze and held her breath, face softening a bit before her eyes scanned the paper. Tsunade had trained her for this moment, to observe the ways on how the council moves, the pros and cons of the whole ordeal. The training made her eyes sharper, focused and more defined. It was startling how one could notice such extent detail without using an eye technique such as a Byakugan or a Sharingan.

"Peace treaty meeting will begin. Gaara-sama, if you do the honours" Chiyo said. Gaara nodded stiffly, bowing low towards Sakura's direction who wore the Hokage's hat. In the two month extensive training program and peace treaty with Suna, Sakura was acting as substitute Hokage for Tsunade and a represetative. She felt a surging pride build up within her when she wore the Hokage hat, but guilt quickly developed when she realized she was playing a role of something that was to be suited for Naruto.

Gaara gently placed the scroll in front of Sakura, who nodded briskly before opening it as her eyes darted at the reading. She cleared her throat, clicking her fingers as ANBU scooted closer and gave her a thin black folder. She took some papers out, eyes narrowed with concentration as the council nervously fidgeted in their seats, desperate for her agreement and signed contract. Sakura read the letter from Tsunade, before nodding in agreement as she placed the papers back inside the folder.

"Meeting has ended. I shall be expecting the peace treaty at the end of my two month extensive training program with Chiyo-sama" Sakura declared. The council whispered, but their hushed voices came to a halt when Chiyo gave them a withering stare. Sakura stood up abruptly, bowing low before she collected the papers and the important peace treaty paper in her arms, nodding as she exited with Chiyo, ANBU and Root trailing behind her.

In a way, Gaara admired her authority. The way she could just decide like that in front of Suna's cold hearted council with Chiyo's rare approval and an air of authority around her amazed him. He observed her closely, the way her chin was up and the way her eyes sparkled with hidden excitement and mockery. She exited the room, breathing heavily as she exchanged glances with Chiyo before they made their way to her head quarters.

Chiyo's lab was a tall building made up of five buildings connected to eachother by corridors and hallways. Sakura held her breath, blown away by the sheer size of it as she handed the files to ANBU, placing a heavy seal around it that could only be activated by her own blood. She felt the surprised stares of ANBU and Chiyo, before clicking her fingers and barking out orders as she took off her Hokage hat and followed Chiyo.

The hallways were quiet, except for their soft footsteps hushed by the emerald green carpet as they made their way to the main building. The double doors were guarded by six Sand ninjas, standing firmly with scars on their faces, their broad shoulders propped up proudly. Chiyo nodded towards them, before they opened the doors as Sakura and Chiyo stepped inside. The room was wide and vast, a lab full of experiements and dead corpse's hanging inside preserved glass, looking alive but their eyes dull and deflated.

Sakura gasped in fright. She had heard rumors that Chiyo experimented her poisons with dead bodies, but she never knew it was true. In the prescence of the dead bodies, Chiyo's eyes hardened as she cleared her throat. The two leather bags were in the corner, empty with it's contents in the table, spreaded in a neat fashion. Sakura nodded in approval, slipping on latex gloves as she tied her hair up and put on a white, long lab coat before nodding towards Chiyo.

"Show me how good you are" Chiyo remarked boldly, standing with her hands clasped behind her as she peered at Sakura. The girl nodded, confident with her moves as she crushed some herbs under her hands with ease, dripping the green liquid inside the blue liquid before it made a small sound, exploding into a shimmering display of purple haze. Chiyo examined her movements, and judging by how she managed to crush herbs with ease meant she was confident.

Chiyo watched, fascinated as she suddenly finished with the blue liquid and gently placed it aside, stretching her muscles before she grabbed a set of herbs and crystals. She placed them in a clean bowl, crushing them easily with her fingers before adding two drops of her own blood, pouring the mixture inside a test tube before she held it close to a flame from her palm. The liquid slowly melted down, turning into a pale azure with rock crystals gently floating. Sakura placed it aside, taking off her latex gloves before she rinsed her hands.

She took the first poison and drank it, startling Chiyo as she took a step back. A purple haze surronded Sakura as she gently touched a piece of paper, which turned into crumbling acid before dissappearing into grey dust. Chiyo held her breath, fascinated as Sakura clicked her fingers and the poison dissappeared. Sakura took the second poison, hesitating before she murmured something under her breath. Sakura drank it down, sighing with satisfaction as her bones absorbed the poison, and she felt her chakra levels go up.

Chiyo could feel the powerful energy radiating from her, and she watched as Sakura parted her lips and released a blue steam that transformed into a blue dragon. Chiyo watched, entranced as she smiled with satisfaction, nodding her head in approval as her skin started to turn into blue scales-as if she was a blue dragon. Sakura clicked her fingers, and the poison stopped working as she meet Chiyo's gaze, hope flickering in her eyes.

"Your good. Training will start tomorrow four am sharp" Chiyo said. Sakura nodded, packing away quickly with a grin plastered on her face. But it terrified Chiyo as she hurriedly exited the room, panting lightly with a worried look on her face. At that rare moment when Chiyo was afraid, she had been frightened when Sakura had transformed so easily like that. She looked so powerful, so immortal-something unholy about her radiance, her beauty and her eyes.

Chiyo shivered, walking down the corridor with her head low.

"...and you shall stand up straight"

The old mistress's voice faded away as Gaara nodded, a faraway look in his eyes. The training program didn't involve only to be strong, but also to learn the many difficult tasks of staying cool and calm under pressure. But lately, his mind was wandering, thinking about the meeting-he wondered what Haruno Sakura truly was like. When she woke up, she had gone insane, and he could feel it-taste the dark chakra around her, before she collapsed into a fit of tears, a broken, limp body. And there was another Sakura, strong, powerful and commanding during the meeting who spoke of wisdom beyond her years. She confused and fascinated him, always unexpected, always surprising him.

A stream of light came in, blinding his vision as he waved his hand, signalling for a break. The mistress frowned, nodding stiffly before she poured some green tea and exited the room. Gaara sighed, sitting down on the wooden chair, enjoying the peace and quiet of the room with the cup cradled in his hands. There was a soft knock on the door, before Chiyo entered, looking dazed and worried and ancient underneath her thick robe.

Gaara stood up, worried by her tired expression and placed the cup on the floor, slowly making her way to Chiyo who wheezed at him, gripping his shoulders in an iron grip. He could feel her fingernails digging into her flesh, and the piece of red cloth did poorly to protect his skin as he motioned for her to sit down on the stool. She shook her head, eyes wide with fear as she lowered her gaze, a frown settled down in her features before she broke the silence.

"Tsunade's insane" she whispered. Gaara lifted a brow, his eyes demanding an explanation as Chiyo coughed, shoulders shaking. She was still not over on how Sakura seemed to radiate unholy glow about her, yet countinued to act so blissfully ignorant on her own powers. The girl was something evil, something deadly hiding beneath the facade of a pretty girl with strange pink hair. Chiyo was frightened, she heard the girl had mood swings-worse than Gaara's and could destroy a village if she felt upset with her poisons.

A mental image of Sakura laughing with blood dripping down her hair, her skin blue scales covered in blood came to her and Chiyo shivered, clutching Gaara before pulling away and shaking her head. She had to be strong, if it meant that Suna had a good future with Gaara as their leader and allies with Konoha. Chiyo would have to endure two months with a possible, homocidal maniac if she had to, and though she was old-years had fashioned her into learning sneaky tricks and jutsus.

Gaara gave her a questioning glance, before she shook her head and smiled at him, walking away as she exited the room-leaving a dumbfounded Gaara as he stared at her retreating back. His mind was racing with questions, over and over again until they were engraved on his mind. How was Tsunade insane? he thought as he stared at the cold cup of herbal tea in which he idly poured out of the window. He sighed, running a finger through his tangled locks. Being the Kazekage-in-Training was harder than he thought-the council wouldn't tell him anything, Chiyo was acting weird and now Sakura was thrown into the whole mess.

The only comfort he could find was Baki, who was untouched by the whole chaos. Gaara stood up as the mistress came back in, clapping her hands as Gaara walked to the middle of the room and began to practise his walking and posture. The mistress nodded in approval, old eyes wrinkling before she smiled in satisfaction and grinned, scaring Gaara as he saw the yellow teeth.

"Your prepared for your coming in party tonight. Do not fail me, Gaara-sama" she said. Gaara nodded, bowing low before he exited. Now he had a party to worry about, which was the most important factor of his training. The party would involve noble clans, leaders from distant, foreign lands that Gaara was to be expected to make allies with. He groaned in annoyance, desperately seeking for air and some space.

A tailor came hurrying towards him with three girls behind him, carrying silks and robes as they all bowed low in unison to Gaara.

"Your fitting for your clothes shall begin, Gaara-sama" they all said.

Gaara winced at his terrible luck.

Sakura slowly packed away the poisons, before stashing them away inside the shelves and heading outside, smelling strongly of chemicals and acids. She paused, wondering which way to go since Chiyo had abondened her before trying her luck as she walked down the quiet hallway. It was a beautiful day outside, she thought as she stopped to admire the scenary. People had said Suna was ugly, full of annoying sand and heat. But in her eyes, it was beautiful, full of amazing buildings, desert flowers blooming life beneath the sand and the clear sky.

She sighed, dropping her gaze before countinueing down the hallway until she reached the staircase. Sakura ran down the staircase, desperate to run into somebody so they could tell her the directions back to the building she was staying in for the next two months. But the building was quiet, empty except for her as she aimlessly ran down corridors, trying to find any sort of exit. Sakura finally saw an open door and stepped out, feeling a cool breeze come whistling past.

It seemed like she had taken the back exit, for she was meet by a tall fence with climbing, red roses. Sakura turned left, before arriving in the bustling streets of Suna. The villagers stared at her, pointing fingers at the sight of her headband as she lowered her gaze, frightened that they'd start throwing stones. There was a Suna ninja from the distant, and Sakura ran towards the man as she gently tapped him on the shoulder.

The man spun around, his face familiar and full of face paint. They stared at eachother for a few moments, trying to find a memory in which they meet eachother before the man stuttured, pointing a finger at Sakura who gasped.

"Y-your Sakura!" he whispered her name and she nodded, dumbstruck. Her eyes flashed a sapphire blue, startling the man who took a step back with his hands up, gesturing for now violence as Sakura's eyes turned back to normal. Kankarou, brother of Gaara, she thought, raising a brow. She could hardly see the resemblance, especially since the boy seemed loud and boistrous, whilst Gaara was elusive and quiet.

They shared an unspoken agreement of trying to make peace with eachother as Kankarou nervously smoothed his crumpled clothes, apologizing as he scratched his head with a nervous smile on his face. He asked her why she was here, and Sakura raised a brow. She had thought, since he was obviously the brother of Gaara, he would know by now but reached to the conclusion that he had been out in a mission.

"I'm here as substitute Hokage, signing a peace treaty as allies and training under Chiyo's guidance" Sakura said elaborately. Kankarou's eyes widened with awe and shock-the girl was younger than him and already she was a substitute Hokage? He whistled, suddenly feeling extremely lucky to not being forced to do such things. He thought Suna had evil ways on forcing young people like him to do stuff!

There was an awkward silence as Sakura shuffled her feet, feeling nervous. There was no use on asking Kankarou where she was staying, because obviously he looked like he had just been on a rough, long mission somewhere. Just when she was about to open her mouth to say bye, a man appeared, wearing extravagant silks with old eyes peering closely at Sakura as he whispered to his assistant. There were three girls behind him, heavily draped in fabrics and silks, struggling with the weight as all of them bowed low in unison.

"Haruno-sama, I am your tailor for tonight's party" the man said in a stern voice. Sakura raised a brow, shocked before she was suddenly whisked away by the tailor. She weakly smiled at Kankarou, frightened and confused at what was happening.

He laced the bodice tightly and she jumped, hardly able to breath as the tailor noticed her discomfort and loosened it a bit. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, running her fingers through her locks. Tsunade had told her about the party, but Sakura didn't know she'd be invited to it. Yet it hit her-she was the substitute Hokage, of course she was supposed to make an appearance! She sighed at her appalling stupidity and slipped on the heavy silk of the kimono, the bandage around her eyes preventing her from seeing anything.

The tailor had explained to her that it would be bad luck to see the kimono before the party, and Sakura had merely raised a brow. Bad luck from what? she thought as the bandage around her eyes pressed agaisnt her eye lids much to her annoyance. But she had to keep her cool, if she blew the whole thing off, Suna and Konoha will most definetely won't be allies. The council had observed her every move, and much to her delight Chiyo had taken a liking to her.

But ever since she showed her the poisons she could do, Sakura had bumped into her on the way to the building where she was supposed to be fitted in with clothes and Chiyo had acted nervous around her, scrambling and running off to the other direction. It was confusing, but she came to the conclusion that Chiyo was probably busy, with the party and the council and the arrangements.

"Ah! Perfect! You are to wear this!" the tailor exclaimed. Sakura felt the kimono slip off her, heard the faint zip of the clothing case before the bandage was unwrapped and she could see. Sakura was only wearing a plain white undergarment, in which the girls took off as they handed her red shirt and blue pants with obvious distaste. The tailor told her that he'd be back two hours before the party to do her hair and make-up, much to Sakura's displeasure.

But she had to endure it. If it meant impressing Tsunade, making connections and be the one responsible for building a relationship between Konoha and Suna, she's gladly do anything. Besides, she could meet some new people in the party and train under Chiyo's command. It was a bonus really, and Sakura found herself looking forward to the party. It would be a good experience, she thought as she headed back to the hotel.

Ever since she had arrived Sakura had rarely seen Sai and felt lonely without him. Root and ANBU had gone off doing their training with Sand's ninjas in some sort of secret location training grounds that was rumored to be underground. Sakura went up the stairs of the hotel, gaze down as she idly thought of what she was going to do next. She was not allowed permission to go to Chiyo's poison 'factory' since she could not gain access through the main building unless Chiyo was with her.

She twisted the golden door knob before stepping inside, the scent of freshly washed bed sheets wafting through the air as a smile appeared on her face. Sakura closed the door behind her, before sitting down on the bed and taking her shoes off. She had two hours to spare until Sakura could go get some lunch, after that three hours to do something until the tailor would come by again to annoy her. Sakura rummaged through her luggage, taking out a small book on medicine and poisons before she resumed where she had left.

There was a knock on the door, and she stood up, startled before straightening her clothes and opening the door. Baki stood, with several Sand ninjas behind him and Gaara. The sight of Gaara made her tense at their last meeting and she focused her withering stare at Baki, who cleared his throat.

"A meeting with the council in five minutes" he said. Sakura nodded stiffly, slipping on her shoes as ANBU and Root appeared from the shadows and clustered around her. She could feel Gaara's stare on her back and swallowed, running a finger through her tangled locks as she hoped she looked pleasent enough to face the council. Sakura felt a bit nervous when she saw the vast meeting hall, wondering what this was all about when she saw a passed out Chiyo on the table.

Sakura gasped, eyes wide with obvious horror as she rushed to Chiyo's side. Just when she was about to touch the lady's pulse, a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. She meet the pained gaze of Gaara and hesitated, before nodding as she took a step back and was ushered into a large, wooden chair. The council gave her hard looks, as if they were blaming her for the cause of Chiyo's state.

"What happened?" she asked, worry in her voice as her brows furrowed in concern. The council whispered to one another, before one of them gestured towards Gaara who sat down in the Kazekage's chair and shuffled some pieces of paper. It suddenly hit Sakura that this all might be part of Gaara's training, and that Chiyo wasn't really passed out and laying on the table in the middle.

There was a heavy silence, except for the shuffling of papers as Sakura saw ANBU and Root tense ever so slightly when Gaara meet her gaze again, his eyes piercing and staring at her soul. Sakura lifted a brow at his intense stare and cleared her throat, eyes slowly staring at the fallen form of Chiyo, whoose silver hair framed her old, wrinkly face and brushed agaisnt the wooden surface beneath her old body.

"She passed out. Some people found poison in her bones, and you were the last person who was with her that poison was in the prescence" Gaara said coldly. Sakura released a laughter, the sound rippling through the air as she shook her head. Her pink tresses fell over her shoulders as she leaned in, chin tilted upwards in a challenging way. But inside, her heart was hammering wildly, as if it was a hammer smashing across her chest. Was this true? Or was everything just training for Gaara?

Beside her, Root and ANBU went into fighting position-obviously displeased that their own shinobi was probably getting blamed for something she didn't do. Sakura narrowed her eyes, her gaze challenging as she tilted her head to the side. The tension was thick in the air, anticipation and apprehension a thick, invisible mist as the Sand ninjas saw ANBU and Root tense and slowly unseathed their katanas.

When ANBU and Root were just about to reveal their own swords, Sakura held a hand up, halting them as she gave Gaara a glare. She took out a small, folded piece of paper before opening it, slamming it on the desk as she stood up, rising the tension further.

"Do you really want your peace treaty that bad, Gaara-san?" she hissed, flashing the piece of paper in the air. The council stood up, alarmed as they spoke in hushed voices. Gaara raised a brow, his eyes impassive as he countinued to stare at Sakura, increasing her anger. She felt like tearing the whole place down, but when Tsunade's comforting words echoed through her mind, she breathed heavily and sat down in a huff.

The paper lay, a thin border between the council, Gaara and her as she gave them a challenging stare. Suddenly, Chiyo flared her eyes open and clapped her hands, smiling gently towards Gaara. Sakura heaved a sigh of relief, so it had been training, she thought dryly as she folded the piece of paper and slipped it inside her inner pocket. For a moment, she had actually believed they were blaming her for something she hardly done! Sakura hardly could bring herself to commit crimes.

After Chiyo had explained to her that the whole thing was a test if Gaara could keep calm under tight pressure, Sakura could only nod as she bowed low to the council and Gaara. She spun around, ANBU and Root trailing behind her as she dismissed them, saying to them to make sure they make an appearance at the party. She caught Sai's glance and smiled at him, and he in return gave her a fake smile before hurrying back to his shared room with Root.

She slammed the door behind her, rubbing her temples as she fell down on the bed. All worries dissappeared when she felt the soft mattress squek beneath her, and she smiled as she closed her heavy eyelids. But unfortunetly for her, the door slammed open and in came the tailor, with three girls behind her and two other elderly ladies. Sakura jumped, startled as they forced her to sit in the chair as the tailor flashed her a bright torch.

"May the transformation begin!" the tailor cried, a fixed determined frown on his face.

So much for sleeping, Sakura thought as she flinched.

Gaara stepped outside the dressing rooms, looking striking in his usual clothing, except it was much finer for there was a red velvet cloth hanging across his frame with Suna's crest on it, stitched with golden thread. He wiped his sweaty palms agaisnt his pants, feeling nervous as he watch the sky slowly turn into dusk. Within hours, the first few guests would start arriving. Noble clans, and sooner-Kages across the land.

This was important. This party would mean making friends with other Kages, that will hopefully build up to some sort of friendship until eventually he would find himself allies with them. He had already been offered Konoha's peace treaty, and for that he was thankful of since that was a tick on his check list. He just hoped that the other Kages would be as kind to make the first move, and he sincerely hoped that they won't be put off when Orochimaru had joined forces with them to invade Konoha.

"Gaara-sama, remember-posture!" the mistress said, before bowing low and leaving Gaara inside a small parlour, sitting down as he drank his green tea. Kankarou and Temari entered, looking neat and well groomed as they sat down in front of him, wishing him the best of luck. Their idle conversation soon turned to the topic of strangely enough, Sakura who Gaara had told with great ernest about her last apperance.

Temari sighed wistfully, awe in her face as she nodded her head. "Can you believe, thirteen and a substitute Hokage? Gaara here isn't even Kazekage yet!" Temari said playfully, her silk kimono rustling. Kankarou roared with laughter, slapping Gaara's back in a brotherly fashion as Baki entered the room, heavily draped in black cloth as he bowed low. The sky was dark now, the sun vanishing without a trace as the building lit up with orange lights.

The party had began. From here, Gaara could see noble clan leaders entering the party. He felt his heart hammer in excitement as he saw the small figure of the Tsuchikage, whoose old wrinkly face seemed so make him even more nervous than ever. Temari placed a hand in his shoulder, a sign of unspoken comfort as she and Kankarou were slowly ushered into the party. The plan was to introduce the Kages to the party, including him and Sakura-even though she was a substitute.

Gaara had received a letter from Tsunade personally, explaining why she couldn't come in person. She had been too caught up with Naruto's safety, who was travelling with Jiraiya to hide from Akatsuki and to train for two years. She was also busy sending out ANBU to try and collect intel on Akatsuki, the hospital was full of injured shinobi lately and political disasters started to rise. Needless to say, Gaara felt sympathy for Tsunade and feared that he might face those same troubles when he gains the title Kazekage.

He sighed, standing up straighter as more and more people came inside the building. He could see the beautiful Mizukage with a bewitched Raikage, looking pleased at the sight of the infamous Mei. It was time, Gaara exited the parlour with Baki trailing behind him as he paused, standing in front of the two, double golden doors. He could hear the faint sound of music and laughter, conversations flying in the air before he clenched his fists.

The doors opened and Gaara stepped out, his name a whisper on everybody's mouth as a Sand ninja announced his arrival. They clapped politely, examining him with great, keen interest as the clan leaders and various Kages who sat perched on the head table stared at him. There was some more announcements, before another double doors opened and out stepped a beautiful girl, whose other worldly beauty seemed to glitter agaisnt the bright, orange glow.

"Substitute Hokage, Haruno Sakura!" a voice rang out. Everybody's interest seemed to increase further at the sight of Sakura, who was very aware of the lingering stares as she clenched her jaw. She meet Gaara's gaze and nodded towards him, slowly making her way to the head table where a wooden chair with Konoha's crest on it stood, empty and waiting. Her dazzling deep emerald green kimono stitched with golden dragons seemed to command attention and share the same shade as her eyes, with her pink locks in a updo with loose strands and adorned with chopsticks with cherry blossoms dangling from the edges.

Her lips were painted red, and the kimono exposed her milky flesh as she stared at the other Kages through her thick eye lashes. The Raikage raised a brow, obviously shocked by her age and apperance and was greatly dissappointed that Tsunade was not here. He had heard the news of Tsunade being the Hokage, and had wistfully remembered the old times when he had encountered her which ended with a large bruise on his head.

"You must be good if your the substitute" the Mizukage remarked, respect in her voice. Sakura smiled at her, obviously shy agaisnt the prescence of a beautiful lady. She gripped her kimono, wishing she could spark up a conversation with anybody as she marvelled the party. Beside her, Gaara sat still, his face expressionless as he stared at the empty cup in front of him.

"I've heard Akatsuki's gone away from their hiding" Sakura said, breaking the silence. The Tsuchikage nodded wisely, face grim as he stared at Sakura for a moment. "My ninjas have gone out to collect some intel on them, so far it's been unsuccesful" the Raikage added.

"My village had gathered some information regarding about the Akatsuki. Seems like there a tricky bunch" Sakura commented dryly. The Raikage lifted a brow, leaning forward as he grinned at Sakura. She slowly backed away, and could only breath a sigh of relief as the Mizukage slapped him around the head and pulled him back. He sheepishly grinned at Mei, who scowled at him before turning to face Sakura.

"Really? Tell us more" the Mizukage said as casually as she could. Sakura stiffled a laugh, as if she'd share classified information with a lady she barely knew! Maybe she could bribe the Mizukage into her bargain. It seemed risky, but the idea didn't really seemed so bad-she could tell her bits and pieces, stop abruptly when she catched all of their attention and just hoped they could invite her over to discuss something. It was a good idea nonetheless, trouble was how was she supposed to pull it off?

Be careful and look at ease, Tsuande's words said, repeating over and over again. "I'm sure we could discuss that at a more...private area?" Sakura asked, hope in her face. The Kages nodded grimly, and Gaara clicked his fingers as they were all ushered inside a room. Inside, they could hardly hear the noise from outside as they sat down around a wooden table. Sakura cleared her throat-grabbing attention from the Kages and Gaara as they hushed down.

"Akatsuki have gone out of hiding. More Jinchuurikis have gone missing, except for the Shukaku, Kyuubi and Gyuki and few others" Sakura said, worry in her voice. When Tsunade had told her this, she had been greatly disturbed and had done some intense research. She found that the Kages nodded their heads in agreement, fingers drumming agaisnt the wooden table. "People think this is a coincidence, but I think not" Sakura said, standing up as she held up her hand.

"There are nine beasts in the world, correct?" Sakura asked, earning nods from several Kages "And somehow, more and more kept dissappearing" some of her fingers went down, revealing only several fingers in the air as her expression hardened.

"I was greatly disturbed by the whole thing, and researched more and more" she said, a smirk growing. Her plan was to spill out some little details, possibly frustrating the other Kages until she would stop abruptly. At least one of them would ask her for a meeting, wouldn't they? The plan was perfect, and it seemed they were all slowly falling for it.

"Akatsuki was formed to create world peace, a goal that can be hardly obtained by anybody. And by pursueing this fantasy, they plan to lure incredibly strong ninjas and use them" Sakura said. She used 'ninjas' for the tailed beasts, not wanting to spill out important intel to some people who might not even invite her over. She knew what Akatsuki was planning, because when she had encountered Itachi and her eyes had gone a dazzling sapphire blue, the demon had grabbed information desperately with glee.

Sakura had never told Tsunade, fearing she would question her knowledge, therefore trying to keep it to a minimum. She planned to tell Tsunade anyway when she got back from Suna, when the time was right and she was in a good mood. "Akatsuki are full of S-class ninjas, once had the brightest of futures, but was tossed away when they joined the criminal organization by shadowed leaders" she said in a cold voice. The line brought back memories of Sasuke, how he once had a bright future ahead of him, but in a moment of despair and because of that wretched Orochimaru, he tossed it away as if it were trash.

Gaara watched her with keen interest. He admired her authority and her leadership, how she could captivate people with her words and talk to the Kages as if they were ordinary people. It was exciting really, to be in a prescence of a meeting with one of the most powerful ninjas in the world, with a girl barely eighteen discussing the intel as if she was the leader-and she wasn't even training to be Hokage!

Her voice drowned back in, before she stopped and stood up abruptly. "Let's make our way back, shall we?" she said, tilting her head to the side as she exited the room. The Kages trailed after her, faces full of dissappointment at her sudden halt. The party was more alive now, with dancing people in the middle and laughing women lounging on plush sofas with trays of cakes around them. Sakura admired the scenary and smiled, enjoying the music as she slowly made her way to the balcony.

After the whole ordeal, she needed some air before she could step back inside and enjoy herself. She hoped her plan wouldn't go to waste, and prayed that at least one of them would approach her and request a meeting. The light, cool breeze soothed her bare, warm skin as she gripped the railings and stared at the night sky full of shimmering stars. At that moment, she felt lonely without anybody's company and hung her head.

The thought of Sasuke came to her mind, and she gripped the railings harder as her bottom lip quivered. Maybe she could try and send her chakra to him? she thought as she scanned the area. But it would be too risky, the Sand ninjas, ANBU and Root might detect it, and Sakura would be in huge trouble and her chances with being friends with other Kages would explode in a matter of seconds.

"You were good back there" Gaara's voice broke her train of thoughts and she jumped, startled before she thanked him for his kind remark. They shared a comfortable silence, enjoying one another's unspoken company as the feel of the cool breeze and the faint sound of music filled their ears in blissful harmony. She sighed, lowering her gaze as she noticed the Mizukage slowly approach her, requesting to speak in her privately.

Gaara nodded, bowing low before he spun around and left them. Mei Terumi took out a scroll with Kirigakure's crest on it, handing it to Sakura as her beautiful auburn hair spilled across her shoulders. "I would like to ask you to visit Kirigakure after your two month stay here in Suna, I would love to build an alliance" the Mizukage offered, and Sakura felt her insides twist with excitement. She nodded, smiling at the Mizukage as they both made their way back inside the party.

Throughout the whole celebration, Sakura went back to the hotel a happy girl. She had been invited over from all of the Kages to discuss Akatsuki's sightings, and couldn't wait to tell Tsunade and Shizune. She wanted nothing more than to be recognized and to be respected by people who she admired and were powerful, for it was a great honour to be noticed by the people who were leaders or future leaders.

Maybe she could build up connections, they would come in handy sooner or later nonetheless. But during her stay here in Suna, Sakura had to make sure to express her views on Suna's politics and give them promises she could be able to acheive like helping them with their medical staff. A plan formed into her mind and she shook off her kimono with the guidance of the tailor in excitement, happy her time at the party had not gone to waste.

After she had thanked the tailor and they all left, managing to persuade her to keep the kimono and the hair accesories as a souveneir and a token for her time, Sakura sat down on her bed wearing a large white shirt with deep green shorts as she threw the covers over her, the reminder of starting her proper training with Chiyo occuring to her brain as she promised her self to wake up before four am.

Chiyo opened the curtains of the lab, rinsing her hands before drying them with a towel as she slipped on latex gloves. She had been dreading to meet Sakura again, and had not missed the unholy glow around her when she had drank those poisons. But when she saw her during the party, cunning and talking toe the Kages as if they were common villagers, she found newfound respect for the girl who was barely eighteen and already friends with the world's most influential people.

She laid out the test tubes, nodding her head in approval as she saw that everything was clean and perfect. Just as the clock struck 4:01 am, the door opened and Sakura stepped in, panting with her chest rising and falling. She bowed low, apologizing before she rinsed her hands in the sink and put on the latex gloves before standing behind the counter, hands clapsed behind her back as she eagerly waited for her training to begin.

"First, we shall study the human anatomy" Chiyo said, passing Sakura a picture of the male and female human body. Sakura nodded, before her eyes widened as Chiyo handed her a human arm from the preserved area. Chiyo saw her fascination and shivered, swallowing hard before she countinued "We'll be studying the weakest parts of the human system, judging the weakest parts of our enemies and calculating where and when to put the poison" Chiyo finished, taking the arm gently as she layed it out in front of them.

She motioned for Sakura to get a test tube full of yellow liquid, in which she put inside a small container with a needle on top and pressed it on the human detatched arm. The skin turned a murky green colour, and it shrivelled as Chiyo nodded in satisfaction as she pulled the poison out and pointed to the small cut. "That is the weakest part, the wrist which has the thinnest piece of skin, except for the skin underneath your eyes" she said. Sakura nodded, writing down some notes in a creamy paper with a pen poised in her hand.

"But, it is up to you to decide what is the weakest part of your opponent. This is why we are to study the human body" Chiyo said, before taking out a female human body in the preserved area with it's private parts covered by red cloth. Sakura noticed that the head was cut off, and shuddered to think who the body belonged to as she watched Chiyo gently placed it in the table. "Don't worry, it's just a puppet" Chiyo said, noticing her great displeasure. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief, before examining the body with great detail.

"In a woman's body, her chest area, her pressure point and her skull is a weak area that are protected at all times" Chiyo began, taking out a black marker as she placed signs all over the puppet's body. "But, some woman however, are good at hiding their weakest part. That means you have to have good eyesight during battle at all times" Chiyo said, emphasising each word carefully. Sakura nodded, jotting down the words as Chiyo countinued.

"But the solar plexus, the part between the chest and the stomach is probably the weakest part of any male/female and is good to aim the poison at" she said, putting a black circle around the solar plexus as she jabbed poison into the puppet. The area deflated, the skin sunk like melted wax to reveal bits of wood and Sakura took the poison in her hands, asking Chiyo if she could get the instructions to make this.

Chiyo nodded briskly, handing her a sheet of paper in which Sakura carefully folded as she tucked it inside her pocket. The training had been a good experience, they had studied further and further of the human body until Sakura knew every bone, every muscle and every weak part of the human body, and was left with a mountain of homework to do some further research in Suna's library which was open until nine pm.

It was already eight thirty, which meant she had spent several hours in the lab, popping every now and then to the canteen with Chiyo to get some food. She slowly made her way to Suna's library with the armful of books Chiyo recomended. Few people gave her stares with mild interest, before focusing their attention back on their work. Sakura enjoyed the quiet atmosphere, the faint rustle of sheets of flippping pages.

She savoured her silence. Silence that was either soothing that she loved, or silence that was the loudest, piercing scream of all.

Sakura sat down, busying herself by reading the textbooks with a determined look in her face. Gaara hesitated, before he approached her and waited patiently, enjoying the absorbed look in her concentrated face as she swiftly made notes. He cleared his throat, and Sakura raised her gaze and smiled at him, nodding as he asked to sit down in the chair in front of her. He shuffled through his papers of made up political and financial problems, with clean paper next to it ready to be filled with a report and to be marked by the head of council and Chiyo.

But his attention was caught when he saw a glimpse of a picture of a dead corpse in her hands, a black and white faded photograph full of anotations. He lifted a brow, wondering how she could not be repulsed by it as she studied and read passages from the thick, heavy textbook in the table. Sakura had been given the honours of studying two real human corpses, one male and female with Chiyo and inject various poisons into their system.

"What are you studying?" Gaara asked politely. Sakura meet his gaze and hesitated, before clearing her throat as she replied back. "Poisons, human anatomy, weakest points of the human body-that sort of stuff" she said, smiling before she lowered her gaze and concentrated with her work. But her attention was in the pieces of paper Gaara had in his hands, and he caught her stare at the papers.

"I'm studying some made up financial/political problems, write a report before it will be marked on Chiyo and the council" Gaara said, answering her unspoken question. She nodded, impressed before she returned her focus on the medical textbook in her hands. Chiyo had encouraged her to study the science of medicine and the poisons, saying she had good talent that would be a shame to be not used.

Sakura realized that she could possibly dip her weapons into the poisons, maybe ask the Jubi if he could allow her to use her poisons. The thought of having a conversation that didn't involve insults seemed very appealing to Sakura, and it might mean some sort of strange friendship between her and the demon. The last thing she wanted was a demon trapped inside of her who hated her and had the power to rip her insides and send her brain overload with the thought of killing and destroying.

They shared a comfortable silence except for the shuffling of papers and the scrawl of handwriting on paper. But Gaara took sneaky glances of Sakura, the council's words to try and impress Sakura making her sign the peace treaty at the end of her two month stay. After the party, the council had found respect for the girl which they had wrongly underestimated and lectured Gaara to be friends with her-since she seem to have a habit on making friends with the higher ups.

The council seemed to shrug off the fact that Gaara was not very good at interacting with people. He was always anti-social, preferring to be alone or have quiet company with an equally quiet person. As he wrote down his fifth report, he noticed her silently pack away and before he could stop himself, he helped her pack up.

"I'll escort you back" he offered, feeling awkward. Sakura hesitated, before smiling at him as she nodded and helped him pack up with his things. Gaara decided to do most of his reports back home, and waited patiently as Sakura stacked her folders and textbooks before they exited the library together. They walked in silence, footsteps hushed by the soft sand as they walked down the clear path.

The village was half empty now, with people slowly packing up their stalls as dawn came. The sky was tinged with rose gold, lavender and mauve with streaks of orange and blue. Sakura was breathless at it's beauty, staring at the cloudless sky with an amazed face, gripping the textbooks tighter to her chest as she smiled. The memory of her lying underneath a sky like this, with her precious people-Sasuke and Naruto beside her, hands clasped together. The memory caressed her cheek softly as she lowered her gaze, a soft, sad smile settled in her features.

She shook off the memory, catching up on Gaara as she focused on her studies and her plans. Sakura would have to sort out her schedule with all the invites, by the time the two month stay in Suna was finished and she would be back on Tsunade, she would fill in the details as much as possible-before taking off to visit the Mizukage, Raikage and finally the Tsuchikage. Maybe she could ask them for training programs each-it would be a good oppurtunity to be taught by world leaders.

"Here we are" Gaara said, cutting her train of thoughts. She thanked him, bowing low as she entered the hotel and ran up the stairs, clutching her textbooks. Gaara watched her retreating form, and before he spun around and left-she turned around and waved goodbye, a smile in her lips before her figure vanished up the stairs. He had hoped this would be the start of some sort of friendship, since Sakura seemed like the quiet, passionate type he enjoyed being around with.

Besides, she was great friends with Naruto. Gaara paused, his eyes scanning the reception area of the hotel before he exited and headed back to his house. He still had three reports to write, before he would give them to the council and Chiyo the next day for checking. He hoped it would be good enough, since he had spent hours on his reports and the last thing he wanted was his effort gone to terrible waste.

Sakura dumped the textbooks on the soft carpet, sighing as she bent down to re-arrange them on the floor before slipping off her shoes and heading for the en-suite bathroom. She stripped down, tracing a finger over her ugly wounds as she cringed. The hot water was refreshing agaisnt her skin, and she breathed a sigh of relief before she turned the tap off and stepped out. She still had to do an outline of her busy schedule, figure out what to say to Tsunade before heading out to meet the Mizukage, the Raikage and finally the Tsuchikage.

She knew she had a whole two months to do this, but she wanted to plan something so she could get it over and done with. Sakura also needed to do a mission report, write down every poison she learnt and pursue her poison training with Chiyo until the two months were up. Thinking about the amount of work she had to do, Sakura's heart sunk an incredible rate and she sighed, sitting down on the chair as she took a paper and pen.

Chiyo poured some green tea into two cups, before placing them inside a tray and stepping out of the staff room. The lab was pleasently clean, the dead bodies and the two puppets preserved in a special area with heavy sealings. She had promised Sakura that she could study two real human bodies, one male/female and had been slightly disgusted the fact that she had been excited to do so. Chiyo placed the tray on the counter top, near the sink before she rinsed her hands and put on some latex gloves.

The door creaked open and Sakura stepped in, yawning with dark circles under her eyes as if she had stayed up all night. Chiyo felt a pang of guilt for giving her so much homework, but dismissed the thought. If one wanted to become legendary, they would certainly have to work harder than anybody else. Sakura was relieved when Chiyo gave her the cup of herbal tea, and she drank it heartily before thanking her as she washed her hands and put on some gloves.

Sakura helped Chiyo to take out the two human bodies, and they laid it out on two soft beds with wheels on the bottom and tables around it, full of chemicals, herbs and poisons. Chiyo took out a big textbook, opening a page that said 'Human body' in big bold letters as she took out a sample picture of the page and handed it to Sakura, encouraging her to do anotations while she spoke.

"Yesterday, we learnt about the human anatomy. Today, we have the pleasure of exploring it in greater detail" Chiyo said gravelly, before taking a knife and cutting the stomach open. Sakura winced as she took out several organs, and tried not to gag at the disgusting smell. In the end, they wore thick masks. "This is the solar plexus, inject poison 872 please" Chiyo asked, gesturing for the poison. Sakura nodded, taking the poison that said 872 in black marker before dabbing it at the solar plexus. The skin seemed to melt, like wax and revealed several sharp bones sticking out.

Chiyo took a picture of it, handing it out to Sakura who stuck it in a big, green book before she made several anotations. They countinued their research in great detail, before it was time for lunch and they stepped inside the staff room, busying themselves by taking off their gloves, aprons and masks. Sakura washed her blood stained latex gloves, before tossing them inside the bin and patiently waiting for Chiyo.

During their experiment, Sakura had the pleasure of exploring the two bodies by cutting open several parts of it, placing her hands inside and trying to feel every organ and fibre. It was disgusting really, it made her flinch but she countinued on with great determination. Chiyo washed her hands, drying them before they headed outside the lab and to the nearby canteen inside the building.

They sat down in an empty table, away from the crowd where a waitress placed some food in front of them and walking away. Sakura realized this might be a great oppurtunity to ask Chiyo if she could visit council meetings, see their politic system and the state of Suna-it wouldn't hurt to do a bit of exploring before she signed the peace treaty, right? "Chiyo-sama, I was wondering if I could speak to the head of Suna's council" Sakura said, gulping down some water before she waited for her response.

Chiyo was slightly taken aback, wiped her mouth before peering closer at Sakura. "Why not? It won't hurt to do so before the peace treaty, I'll arrange a meeting tomorrow if I can" she said, cutting a steak before eating it. Sakura nodded, happy that her request was granted and happy that Chiyo had understood before they countinued their lunch in a peaceful silence. Suddenly, Sakura noted that the whole canteen had hushed, and craned her neck to see what was going on.

She meet the gaze of Gaara, with Baki behind him as they approached both of them. Baki bent down to whisper into Chiyo's ear, and she nodded and smiled at Gaara. "Sakura, Gaara will be observing our poison training, so please feel free to explain to him if he asks a question. I'll be marking you on that" Chiyo said. Sakura nodded, finishing her lunch before she stood up with Chiyo and they made their way back to the lab.

Sakura saw the horror on Baki and Gaara's faces at the sight of the two dead bodies with their stomachs and several other body parts open with organs around. Sakura washed her hands, putting on new latext gloves, the blood soaked apron and the mask before tying up her hair. She resumed her place, her files of black and white before and after pictures filled with anotations scattered around her as she explained to Gaara what they were doing.

"I'm learning the human anatomy, weakest parts of the body and where to inject the poison" she said. Gaara nodded, avoiding contact with the two bodies as he shuddered. He stared at Sakura, who was not the least bit unfazed as she sliced open the arms, dabbing the flesh with poison before taking a picture and sticking it in her book. Chiyo resumed her teachings, pointing to the cluster of nerves which was the second best place to inject poison on, right after the solar plexus.

Chiyo flipped the woman's body over, tracing a knife over the curve of the spine before marking it with a black pen. Sakura took several before pictures, injecting it with poison while taking down notes as she nodded, a grim expression on her face. "Chiyo-sama, will you be seeing me mix some poisons of mine today?" Sakura asked, an excited smile plastered on her face. Chiyo shuddered, remembering last time as she slowly nodded.

"What poisons?" Gaara asked politely. "Oh, I mix poisons back at Konoha and I'm doing some today to show you" Sakura replied cheerfully, adjusting the two beds of the human bodies before sliding them inside a nearby preserved room. She took off her mask and breathed a sigh of relief, collecting her notes and photographs as she placed it inside the locker in the staff room. Chiyo braced herself, taking a step back just in case something happened.

Sakura rinsed her hands, not bothering to put on any gloves as she poured some crystals, rocks and herbs into a mixing bowl before easily crushing it with her hands. Gaara watched with keen interest, his jade eyes darting back and forth as Sakura moved with ease, pouring liquid without any hesitation in her movements. She was good, he thought with fascination, so good that Chiyo could trust her on using rare herbs and crystals, so good she was a substitute Hokage at a young age and so good she had already made connections Gaara struggled to make.

Sakura finished, nodding her head with satisfaction before-much to everybody's shock, injected the poison inside her flesh. Baki and Chiyo held their breaths as a pale orange glow seemed to radiate from her skin, and Sakura held up a hand and touched a small piece of paper that dissolved into orange ash. "I'm making this for Naruto" she said, clicking her fingers as the poison dissappeared. She had written the formula last night and decided-with the knowledge of the demon, that the Kyuubi would be fine on absorbing the poison.

Yet the realization dawned to her that she had to wait two years until she could see him again, and she stumbled on her feet before her bottom lip quivered. It seemed like Gaara was the only one who saw this and stepped in to help her, feeling her nails dig into his flesh as she softly sighed. "Sorry" she whispered, stepping back and clearing away the poisons, taking the poison she had just used and putting it in the preserved area where Chiyo had offered her.

"Training if finished. Go to the library and do some further research Sakura. I'll try to do a meeting with the head of council for you" Chiyo said, rushing away. Gaara raised a brow as Sakura nodded, taking off her apron as she collected her books and trailed after Baki and Gaara. Her soft footsteps were hushed by the soft carpet, and she clutched the book in eager anticipation as she chewed her bottom lip.

Sakura hoped the head of council would at least have twenty seconds to spare so she could speak to him. She was going to ask about the finances, the medical staff, the problems etc so she could do something after she signed the peace treaty. Afterwards, Suna would be in great debt of Konoha and would possibly do anything to help them, and since Gaara was the next Kazekage -anybody could agree that it was easier manipulating a young Kazekage who didn't have any experience at all.

She waited patiently outside the vast meeting room, waving goodbye to Gaara and Baki as she heard the soft, hushed voices of Chiyo and an elderly man. A few moments passed, and Sakura found herself slumped agaisnt the wall before the door opened and Chiyo exited. Sakura stood up abruptly, alarmed and expecting an answer as she clutched the textbooks tighter to her chest and swallowed.

"He will have the meeting now, since his busy tomorrow" Chiyo said, gesturing towards the open door. Sakura nodded, ignoring her hammering heart as she clenched her jaw. She had spoken to the Kages right? So what was a council man? She stepped in, shuffling her feet nervously before the elderly man pointed to the empty chair in which she gladly sat. He shuffled a couple of papers, smoking on a pipe before signing some and pushing them away, staring at Sakura.

He released a puff of smoke, throwing his pipe away with boredroom. "I was wondering if I could explore Suna, check it's financial records, it's housing encoms. Taxes and the medical staff, anything that Konoha could help with after I've signed the peace treaty under Tsunade's name" Sakura said, hoping she seemed calm and collective. There was a breif pause, before the council man took a thick document out.

"I'm pleased to hear that your so interested in us. Come tomorrow evening, I'll be telling you about Suna's system that I hope you will approave of, Haruno-sama" he said, drinking down a cup of water before countinueing "Here is a document with various entries such as the crime rate, medical staff and such things. I hope you will find the time to read it" he said, hope in his voice. Sakura nodded, thanking him as she stood up and gave him a firm handshake as she exited the room with the file tucked under her arm.

She was immensely pleased and proud of herself for hopefully acting proffesional even though she was thirteen and hoped she left a good impression. She had a meeting with the head of the council tomorrow evening! Sakura bowed low before running down the hallway, excited beyond belief. Tsunade would be proud, she thought as she ran down the stairway, clutching her textbooks and the document close to her chest in a protective fashion.


	21. Chapter 21

Thank you so much for the reviews! I understand parts of it is aboslutely confusing because I keep changing (whoops) but I swear I'll clear it all up at the very, very, very last chapter. I promise! Anyway, this is chapter 21, hope you enjoy and please review. Flames are allowed.

I do not own Naruto.

* * *

Her time at Suna had gone quickly than she thought. Every morning, Sakura would head to the lab to start her poison training where her knowledge expanded a great deal, until evening would come and she would have a meeting with the head of council. On rare occasions did Gaara ask her if she wanted to eat dinner over his place, with Kankarou and Temari. And today was no exception as Sakura stared at the house of Gaara, fidgeting nervously as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

Over the past few weeks, her friendship with Gaara had blossomed. She would sometimes sparr with him when Chiyo would be far too busy and the head of council was running meetings, and they both savoured those few moments of freedom before they would be whisked away to do their prospective training. Gaara training to be Kazekage, herself doing a program with Chiyo. The door opened, and Temari beamed at Sakura before letting her inside.

The sweet smell of dangos and delicious food sprawled across the table shone proudly agaisnt the pale orange glow. Kankarou sat down, looking ready to eat the whole meal while Gaara stood at the far end, his arms crossed with his gaze lowered at the empty plate. He meet her stare and gave her the faintest of smiles, in which she returned as she sat next to him. As the hours passed, Temari had mercelissly teased Gaara to no end, telling Sakura how he was so anti-social, especially to girls.

"Your the only girl besides me he ever talks to! And Chiyo seriously does not count!" Temari cried. Sakura raised a brow, parting her lips as she giggled while Gaara scowled deeply, a slight blush tainted on his cheeks. Kankarou popped his head, grinning as he raised alcohol bottles in the air and cheered, offerring Sakura some as she declined. While Temari and Kankarou were busy drinking their hearts out, Gaara and Sakura slowly made their way out to the balcony.

The warm air cooled her skin as she smiled, leaning agaisnt the railings and admiring the scene of Suna. Gaara stood next to her, his eyes on her form as he watched with fascination her face turn into shock at the sight of the shimmering stars. "They're beautiful" she whispered, eyes wide as she gripped the railings and sighed wistfully. The air ran through her hair, floating around her face as she bought a hand to restrain it from flying everywhere.

Strangely enough, the stars out here in Suna were more brighter, clustered together in small, tight groups or away from the crowd and shining brightly. Gaara could never tire watching these stars, since he couldn't sleep he would often just sit here, staring at the sky until a few streaks of the Sun's rays would come, and the sky would be tinged with rose gold and copper. He wondered if Sakura knew what his true identity was, and then dismissed the thought, feeling stupid. Of course she knew, she had seen it-and he had nearly killed her teammates before he passed out.

He could never forgive himself.

He just hoped he didn't cause her too much pain.

And yet, she acted as if nothing had ever happened.

"Theres a festival tomorrow night" Gaara offered, remembering the council's words on try to be friends with Sakura as possible. Her green eyes sparkled, excited as she tilted her head to the side. The last festival she had been to seemed like an eternity ago, when Team 7 was still together and Kakashi treated them all equally. Her smile faded at the mention of her genin team and she sighed, the grip around the railings loosened. "Can I come with you?" she asked, looking at him hopefully.

Gaara nodded, and she beamed at him as she arranged the time. They would meet up in front of the library at seven thirty, five minutes after Sakura's meeting with the council head ended and five minutes after Gaara's etiquette class ended as well. As the hours passed, Sakura decided it was time for her to go and stepped back in, giggling at the sight of Temari and Kankarou bickering endlessly. Gaara, wanting to escape from it all, offered to walk Sakura home.

"Gaara has a crush!" Temari sang, clutching Kankarou as their arguement subsided. Gaara wrinkled his nose in disgust at the heap of sake bottles and sighed, trailing after Sakura as they shut the door behind them-blocking any sound of Temari and Kankarou's endless teasing. Sakura laughed, shaking her head as her pink hair cascaded down her shoulders. They walked down the path in a peaceful silence, the air cool on their skin as they idly talked about things such as the festival.

Sakura's eyes shimmered at the mention of fireworks and she looked forward to the festival more and more. She could still remember her childhood, when she had first meet Naruto-they would run through the streets with stolen goods, laughing and causing chaos. She smiled at the fond memory, sighing deeply as they neared to the hotel and stepped inside the reception area. Gaara waved farewell, leaving after her figure had vanished up the staircase before heading home.

But Sakura still had a lot of work to do. Each day was becoming busier and busier, more meetings, more poisons and more stress. She had already written the report about every inch about Suna's system, which was filed and stashed away. Her hotel room was cluttered with textbooks piled up in the corner, with ingrediants stuck on the wall and various photographs of dead bodies stuck on her green book.

Yesterday she had received a messages from the Mizukage, Raikage and Tsuchikage about what time she would like to visit. Sakura had been busy then, so stressed out with the amount of work she ended up crying. But she had wrote her reply nonetheless, but it was quite a tight schedule. Because straight after the Mizukage's meeting, which Sakura estimated will last three days-unless the Mizukage would be as kind to offer a training program, right after her stay she'd go visit the Raikage and finally, the Tsuchikage.

But she was grateful, nontheless for some sort of distraction. Sasuke was going off to train with Orochimaru (much to hers and Naruto's displeasure) Naruto was training with Jiraiya-so why can't she do it as well? Sakura had already been taught by Tsunade and currently Chiyo, so why not broaden her horizon? It couldn't hurt, and it was good to have a distraction when she needed it the most. She dreaded to go back to Konoha and bump into Kakashi, especially after her last outburst when she had screamed at the top of her lungs at him, cursing and thrashing wildly like an animal.

Sakura stared at the pile of papers from the head of council who had suggested she read and the textbooks from Chiyo and groaned, promising herself to wake up at two am in the morning, go to the library and start the hard job of reading, writing and more reading until it was four am. Chiyo was always so hard, always making Sakura's extremely tight schedule to be even more complicated. On rare events that she could be free from paperwork and training, Sakura would find herself with Gaara, sitting down on a park bench and savouring these rare moments of freedom. Or they sparr, which was something Sakura absolutely loved.

But because of the festival tomorrow, meetings and her training would be cut short-hopefully anyway. But no matter what the occasion, the council head would always force her to sit down, study Suna's system before she would write a detailed description to it and send it to Tsunade every week. ANBU had stayed, training with the Sand ninjas while Root-much to Sakura's suspicion, had mysteriously vanished.

She missed Sai, and hardly ever saw him except during council meetings when both ANBU and Root were present, before they'd part ways and vanish. But with her complicated schedule, Sakura found that she had less and less time to have fun, instead she found herself hibernating in the lab, library and sometimes the canteen. But she was happy that there was a festival tomorrow, it could ease her mind.

Sakura switched the light off, before pulling the blanket over her and shut her eyes.

* * *

Neji aimlessly walked down the many corridors of the Hyuuga compound, before turning right as he stepped outside and walked down the dirty path. After he had asked where Sakura was to Tsunade, she had replied saying she was a substitute Hokage in a two month mission at Suna, where she was training with Chiyo. He felt a pang of loneliness seep into his bones, and had been scared that all the people he knew where moving on, grabbing oppurtunities. TenTen had been appointed as Anko's student and Lee was forever training under Gai-sensei, while Neji had his peaceful life of going from training with Hiashi-sama to doing short, escort missions with Shikamaru.

He was jealous of Sakura for getting such a good oppurtunity on studying under a legend. Though Neji was grateful for training under Hiashi-sama, he just wished he could expand his horizons and be taught by different people. He felt his heart sank when he heard it was a two month mission, and prayed that she'd be back soon, unharmed. But he felt immensely proud of her that she had been choosen as a substitute Hokage, thinking she was ideal for the role.

Sakura was everything he wanted to be. Smart, powerful and favoured by Tsunade-sama. Sure the Hokage liked him, usually because of his advanced knowledge and eye technique, but he knew that Sakura was much more. She was smart, her intellegence could rival a Nara's, which Neji thought was immpossible until he meet Sakura. He stepped into the training fields, where Hiashi stood patiently as he bowed down.

He promised himself by the time Sakura would come back, he'd be stronger. Stronger to hold her together and stronger enough to protect her.

"Let us begin" Hiashi declared.

* * *

Sakura wiped her tears, curled up in a ball as she watched the sun go up and lowered her gaze. Just this moment, she had found that deep emotion of yearning for Sasuke and Naruto. She missed them so much, always wondering what went wrong to make them separate. And Orochimaru's pale face would appear, golden eyes shimmering as he would lick his lips and drag Sasuke away from her arms.

"I hate you!" she screamed, leaning agaisnt the railings before she bursted into a fit of sobs, collapsing on her knees. Oh that Snake bastard better prepare, she thought as she clutched fistfuls of her hair. The next time she saw him, she would waste no time by stabbing him with every poison she every created and watch as his skin would melt. And she felt the thirst for revenge, like Sasuke did for his brother and leaned her forehead agaisnt the cold railings.

She shut her eyes, finger lacing over the railings in an iron grip that caused it to snap and crumple in her palms. She raised her head, fluttering her eyes open as tears streamed down her face and she trembled. Sakura wiped her tears away, standing up with shaky knees-she had to forget, forget the pain and the suffering. She had to work, she had to grab any distraction-to forget the pain, the loneliness and the immense hate she felt, to forget-

"Are you okay?" Gaara's soft voice shattered her thoughts and she laughed, waving it off as she spun around and smiled-a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Gaara frowned, taking a step forward. He hesitated, before raising a hand as he wiped her tears away, much to her surprise. She broke down in a fit of sobs, startling him as she leaned in and cried on his chest, clutching his shirt and twisting it into knots.

He closed his eyes, feeling her body warmth radiate and her wet tears on his skin. Gaara had never experienced human touch, and this was all new to him. So he awkwardly shifted, placing a hand over her back as he ran his fingers up and down her spine. She raised her chin, staring at Gaara with eyes brimmed with tears before she took a step back, apoligizing with a sorrowful face. "I'm really, really sorry" she said in a pleading voice, and just when Gaara was about to ask why-she ran past him.

Gaara grabbed her wrist, and she stopped abruptly as she raised a chin, a desperate look in her face as his grip loosened and he let her go. He watched her retreating, stumbling form with a soft look in his face. He never knew what she was suffering, especially when he always saw her-eager to please Chiyo and always so wise for her age. The Sakura he saw was different-human, raw and exposed. The Sakura he saw was just like the Sakura he meet in her first day here in Suna, and had been fascinated with.

Sakura ran down the flight of stairs, often stumbling as she ran inside her room, grabbed her textbooks before running out of the hotel. She needed some air, some space and the library could offer all those things. Sakura was so frightened, frightened to be touched by a human. She had only allowed Sasuke and Naruto to do it, rare times she allowed Neji's comforting hugs, but she was not expecting herself to break down and cry.

When he had wiped her tear, she had been reminded countless of times when Sasuke and Naruto had done that, and felt a pang of hard yearning for the two boys who were so dear to her heart. She arrived at the library, sighing wistfully as she sat down on the nearest, empty table before sorting out the work she had to do. Her heart was racing, hammering wildly agaisnt her chest. Sakura couldn't believe why she broke down and cried in front of Gaara, it would makes thing incredibly awkward especially since she'd be meeting him this evening.

She decided just to act as if nothing had happened. Yes, she thought as she wrote down her weekly report, before folding it inside a scroll and nodded her head in approval. She had at least thirty minutes until her session with Chiyo would start, since Sakura had decided to waste thirty minutes on the rooftop. I could've been done with all this now, she thought mournfully as she stared at the textbooks from Chiyo and the documents from the council head.

"Hate my life" she muttered, before grabbing a textbook and opening it. She sighed, running a finger through her tangled, unbrushed hair before reading the first paragraph. As the moments passed, Sakura had finished three textbooks, written down endless notes and anotations and read half of the files the council head gave her. She packed away, heading out as she ran towards the poison 'factory' as she so fondly calls it.

From the distance, she could see the poison factory hovering over the other buildings, casting a grey shadow. Sakura stepped inside, fishing out her ID as she flashed it to the receptionist, before going through security check and heading to the main building. In there, the tall door full of six Suna guards bowed respectfully to her, going through security check again before they fully confirmed she was Haruno Sakura.

Chiyo was sitting on a stool, making notes on their new training before she waved at Sakura who smiled at her. She headed inside the staff room, where Sakura opened her blue locker and placed the documents and textbooks inside, before rinsing her hands as she put on latex gloves, an apron and a mask. Sakura sighed, knowing she had to apoligize to Gaara later and dreaded to think if he hated her now.

The last thing she wanted was a future Kazekage hating a Konoha representative. Sakura winced at the possibility of enduring Tsunade's many, many lectures and practised the words on what she was going to say. She laid out the materials, taking out her photographs of dead bodies and reports before attatching them to a clipboard. Chiyo came from the preserving room, dragging two beds with a male/female bodies on each.

"Right, let's begin" Chiyo said grimly. Sakura nodded wordlessly, chewing the tip of her pen before her eyes darted, until her hand grabbed a poison and she jabbed it on the female corpse's thigh. The area turned a black, melting and Sakura took a picture, doing several anotations around the photograph before listening to Chiyo. After her training session with Chiyo, Sakura had twenty minutes (thirty minutes at normal time, but since the festival was coming-it was cut short) where she would go to the library, than a meeting with the council head before she had five minutes to prepare herself and meet up with Gaara.

She drummed her fingertips agaisnt the table, swinging her legs as she shifted her position on the stool. Sakura watched as Chiyo took some crushed crystals, placing them inside a green liquid before pouring it on top of the male's arm. The arm detatched itself from the socket, and Sakura flinched at the sight. Sakura noted there was some dried blood on the edges of Chiyo's robe and raised a brow, but didn't question. "Can I have the ingrediants for the poison, Chiyo-sama?" Sakura asked, and Chiyo nodded her head before passing her a thin piece of paper with scrawly hand writing.

It had taken Sakura hours to figure out the art of Chiyo's hand writing, and by the time she was completely exhausted. "...Sakura? Are you paying attention?" Chiyo's voice drowned back in, and Sakura snapped her attention back and nodded her head feverishly. Chiyo looked skeptical, but countinued the lesson as if she was forced to do so, and clasped her hands in fists. Sakura knew Chiyo wasn't particularly fond of her, but was impressed with her poison work nonetheless.

It confused Sakura how Chiyo would turn blue when she offered to make some of her own poisons. She brushed away the thought, listening to Chiyo as she furiosly took notes on her green notebook, nodding everytime and answering with confidence if Chiyo asked a question. The session soon ended, and Chiyo left wordlessly after she packed up, hoping Sakura had a good time at the festival.

Sakura sighed, leaning her head agaisnt the blue locker before pulling out textbooks and flinging her latex gloves and bloodied apron on the bin. She headed outside, head ducked down with strands of hair covering her face. The staff were all happy, chattering and jumping up and down with excitement about the festival. Sakura smiled at their happiness, heading out and wondering when was the last time she laughed and smiled like that.

It seemed like a world ago she was with Team 7, laughing and giggling, running down streets with Naruto making noise and Sasuke scowling.

"I miss you" she whispered, her words forming on the glass before she turned left and vanished.

* * *

Gaara breathed a sigh of relief when he was dismissed, and stumbled out of the vast meeting hall and turned left. He had a faint frown on his face, gaze lowered as his thoughts stayed firmly on what happened early this morning. What happened? Was Sakura okay? Gaara thought, he just hoped he wasn't the one causing her so much pain. But realization hit him hard when he remembered that Baki had told him Sasuke had left her and Naruto was out hiding.

It was all very confusing for Gaara. The first thing you know it, Sasuke and Naruto are protecting her and willing to risk their lives for her, and then they both leave her for different purposes. He clenched his jaw, sighing as he ran down the flight of stairs with Baki trailing behind him. Why was he suddenly caring? he thought as he twisted the door open and stepped out, watching as Baki left the other way before making his way to the library.

His heart rang in his ears when he saw a streak of pink flash down the library. It vanished without a trace and he paused, wondering if he should enter. He anxiously shuffled on his feet, Gaara didn't want it to be awkward between her and him. He had worked hard to build some sort of friendship that could aid him for the years to come, and the council would be furious if he blew it. He took a deep breath, stepping inside the library as he clutched the textbooks underneath his arm.

He could feel her startled gaze when he made his way slowly to her. Sakura froze, tucking a stray of hair behind her ear as she gave him a faint smile before burrying her head back in her thick, dusty textbook. Gaara sat down, placing his textbooks in front of him, before he sighed wearily and tapped her shoulder.

"I'm sorry" she whispered, looking misreable as she meet his gaze. Gaara held his breath, entranced by the wideness of her eyes. They were a clear, forest emerald green, glassy when brimmed with tears and startling amongst the crowd of blue eyed girls. "I hope we can...forget?" she mentioned weakly, and Gaara could only nod as he breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled, flicking through the pages as she watch Gaara take some of his textbooks out.

There was a loud bang, followed by another as people rushed to the windows. Fireworks streaked the sky, and Gaara watched as Sakura's eyes widened, and she bounced off the heels of her foot with excitement. The firework was a signal that the festival had begun, the sky tinged with gold and streaks of multi coloured displays before everything vanished.

"I'll see you!" Sakura cried, running out of the room. She paused, turning around grinning at him.

Gaara was happy to see her smile. After seeing her cry and breakdown in front of him, he really didn't want anymore happening.

* * *

The streets were packed with stalls, running children and laughing adults all wearing beautiful kimonos, their hair adorned with flowers and their expression happy. Sakura stepped out, wearing the same kimono she wore during the party and attracting attention from the male population. She heard a faint whistle and lowered her gaze, a blush tained on her cheeks as she slowly made her way to the library where she would meet Gaara.

She hoped to free her worries today, since the meeting with the council head had been cancelled for unknown purposes, Sakura was left extremely happy and relieved. She had been waiting for the festival, hopeful and twisting her shirt and praying that it would come earlier as the minutes passed by an agonazingly slow rate. Her kimono rustled, and she found it difficult to move so she picked up her skirts and slowly made her way down an alleyway.

A girl came running past, a limp daisy chain perched on her head as she grabbed a young boy's hands and they ran down, laughing and giggling. She smiled at the sight, her features softening as she quickly made her way to the library. Her footsteps smashed agaisnt the rough ground full of sand as she saw a shadowed figure spin around, his jade eyes meeting her gaze with his tousled hair gently waving as the wind blew past.

"Gaara!" she cried, making her way towards him with her hair loose on her shoulders. She grinned at him, her exposed skin illuminated as the fireworks filled the sky, shimmering down and showering Suna with trails of pink, blue and orange. Her eyes sparkled as she laughed, tugging on his sleeve as they made their way to the busy, bustling streets full of the delicious smell of food and gun powder from the fireworks.

He watched her laugh, skin glittering and her eyes shimmering as if she was made of gold. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders, contrasting with her emerald green kimono that matched her eyes perfectly. They wandered around the streets, with her constantly tugging on his sleeve as they tried each gaming stall armed with childlike confidence. Sakura sighed in delight, taking a bite off her dango before thanking Gaara as she slowly made her way to the other side of the street.

There was a thick crowd full of women and men, cheering and laughing with delight. At the middle was a clearing, full of dancing couples with lanterns hanging around the trees, their orange light shining agaisnt the flustered faces of people. Sakura and Gaara stood side by side in the crowd, surveying the dancing crowd before they all stopped and bowed. A man pointed towards Gaara's direction, and the crowd slowly turned around to meet his startled gaze.

"Come on! Dance with your friend there!" the man cried. The crowd cheered in encouragement, and Gaara found himself awkwardly holding a hand. Sakura blushed, taking his hand before laughing as they made their way to the clearing. The music began, and they moved as she clutched his shoulder with a playful smile of her face. Gaara was glad to see her happy at least, this was the Sakura he knew and cherished his friendship with. This was the Sakura he had grown to be extremely fond of and adore.

Sakura meet his gaze and laughed, leaning her forehead agaisnt his shoulders as Gaara felt her hair brush agaisnt his collarbone. The music stopped and both of them bowed low before a cheer rippled through the crowd as they made their way to the side. Sakura laughed, her cheeks flushed a delicate pink as she clutched her chest. She had never felt so happy, so alive and full of life at that moment. She meet Gaara's gaze and smiled, panting lightly as they slowly moved away.

The festival was amazing. So beautiful with the constant showering of the dazzling fireworks that took Sakura's breath away. They moved away from the busy crowd, to the hill full of soft, lush grass as Sakura sat down and sighed happily. From here, both her and Gaara had the perfect view of the whole of Suna-covered in trails of multi coloured firworks with glittering stars scattered across the sky.

If she looked closely enough, Sakura could see the laughing children running down alleyways, see the old couples dancing slowly to the music and see young couples eating and giggling. Her eyes softened as she enjoyed the gentle breeze, savouring each second because she knew tomorrow was going to be a normal day-full of meetings, studies and training sessions with Chiyo. Her confidence drained at the thought, but she pushed the thought away as she lay down on the soft grass.

Gaara copied her, staring at the sky with his dark burgundy hair framing his pale face. They enjoyed the peaceful silence, and how the grass seemed to rustle agaisnt their bodies as they shifted positions gently. Sakura tilted her head to the side, meeting his eyes as her hair covered her face. She brushed it away, meeting his gaze through thick, long lashes before breaking into a grin and murmuring a soft thank you.

He gave the faintest of smiles that had a tinge of sadness to it. Gaara knew that Sakura only had seven weeks left, before she would sign the peace treaty on the last day and head back to Konoha. He felt the familiar feeling of loneliness creep up to him, and he wondered what to do between those thirty minute breaks without Sakura around. Gaara enjoyed her company, and she was the only female he ever talked to-minus Temari who had been assigned to more and more missions lately.

Gaara pitied his other siblings, missing the famous festival of Suna for some S-Rank mission abroad. He rarely saw his siblings now, and his silent yearning for them became fonder and fonder. He wondered restlessly what to do after Sakura left, and hoped that in the future they'd cross paths again.

"Look!" Sakura cried, breaking his train of thoughts. Gaara felt a sharp tug of his sleeve, and he sat up. The sky was full of fireworks, not an inch of the sky was seen as the beautiful shimmer trailed down like broken, scattered stars. More came, blowing up into a dazzling explosion as Gaara watched Sakura's face illuminated by the multi coloured sparks. He held his breath, entranced by the childlike innocence look on her face. Her green eyes shimmered, reflecting the fireworks as her hair gently whipped around her face.

The grand finale ended, and a faint cheer went around the festival. Sakura sighed wistfully, kicking off her shoes as she lay back down and closed her eyes breifly. How she would miss Suna, but Sakura was lucky that she still had those extra seven weeks left. Her training with Chiyo had progressed well, and she found her knowledge expanding every minute by the new information the legendary poison maker fed her.

But she was reluctant to leave. Sakura would miss Gaara, and would dread spending a minute in Konoha. At least she was going to Kirigakure straight after Sakura told Tsunade the details of Akatsuki intel and her visits to neighbouring countries.

"Sparr with me tomorrow?" Gaara asked hopefully. Sakura blinked, before nodding her head as her face broke into a satisfied smile. She had been wondering what to do in that half an hour break in between the thin line of her training session with Chiyo and her meetings with the head council who was taking charge over Suna while waiting for Gaara to become the next Kazekage. She felt her kimono rustle gently as the wind blew strands of her hair upwards, and as the festival neared to an end-Gaara stood up and offered a hand.

Sakura grinned at him, sitting up before she grabbed his hand and felt him pull her body up with great ease. She was always known to be extremely light, which surprised people since she could fuse chakra on her fists and break the ground just like Tsunade had done. They made their way down the hill, with Sakura clutching Gaara's shoulder for support as they walked down a steep path. Just when she was about to loosen her grip on Gaara's shoulder because she was perfectly at ease now-Sakura slipped and rolled down the hill.

Gaara shouted her name, worried and concerned as he quickly and carefully made his way down. Sakura landed down the end of the other side of the hill, coughing with dirt staining her kimono and her hair. Blood trickled down her head and she groaned, feeling light headed as her vision blurred at the edges. From the distance, she could see a tall, shadowy figure with a large cloak, and thought that it was Gaara and reached a hand.

"Gaara...help" she whispered in a raspy, hoarse voice. Sakura coughed up blood violently, and felt her insides churn as her demon roared within her-vibrating through the walls that sent her trembling violently. A pale hand reached out, tilting her head upwards as Sakura raised her gaze and stared at the shadowed figure who she could not see well due to the fact of her poor vision. The red liquid ran down her face, reaching her collarbone as it dripped to the ground. She could feel a soft cloth dabb at her blood.

The man knelt down, dabbing the cloth across her face as he wiped the blood gently. Sakura's bottom lip quivered, before she felt him pinch the cluster of nerves at her neck. Everything turned dark, and the last thing she saw was the pale moon illuminating a orange mask.

"SAKURA!" Gaara screamed.

* * *

A blur of red reached her vision, and she felt a gentle, cold finger check for her pulse before Sakura threw her hands in the air and shoved the medic away. She panted, clutching her chest as she regained her humanity and whispered a soft sorry under her breath. She hardly noticed Gaara who stood abruptly from his chair as he slowly made his way towards her, eyes wide and full of worry and concern.

Sakura noted his cheeks were puffy, and faint drops of some sort of liquid were on the piece of cloth he held. Her eyes widened a fraction, and she grabbed his arm and pulled him closer until their foreheads touched. "You've been crying" she murmured, taking the cloth from his hands as she traced a finger over his tear drops. Gaara didn't answer, instead he sat down on the bed and pulled the covers up to Sakura's chest.

She could remember vividly what happened. How the demon reacted to the masked ninja, and that strange orange mask that seemed to shimmer agaisnt the moon. Sakura decided to keep it as a secret, the last thing she wanted was to worry Gaara. Besides, the man just probably saw her, wiped the blood off her face and vanished when Gaara arrived. And it was not as if the mask had been different, nearly every vending stall in the festival had been selling masks.

"You've been asleep for one day. Chiyo and the head of council are deeply troubled by your accident" Gaara remarked. Sakura nodded wordlessly, jumping out of the bed and surpassing the temptation to hiss in pain. Her muscles were sore and numb, and that was the only bad thing Sakura really had. Everytime she would sleep and wake up, her muscles would be tense, numb and sore. She had grown used to it, but everytime she woke up in a hospital with some other injuries-it hurt an incredible amount.

But she couldn't waste the oppurtunity to miss a session with Chiyo. Besides it seemed like early in the morning, so she could get dressed and collect her textbooks from the hotel-before arriving at the poison factory. Gaara frowned as she started to collect her kimono, and grabbed her wrist as she jumped-startled.

"You have to get some rest" he said in a pleading voice. Sakura's face softened, before she shook her head and made her way to the doorway, her hospital gown billowing around her like a cape. She felt something wrap around her shoulders, and she spun around to meet Gaara's worried face and his red cape over her shoulders. She swallowed, smiling softly before gently hugging Gaara. He tensed, never used to human physical contact and exhaled her scent-moss and apples and sighed.

She fought the urge to cry happily, thanking him over and over again for his kindness before she pulled away. Sakura smiled at him, clutching his red cape and her kimono before bowing low, face gentle and soft like a young girl. "Thank you for everything" she whispered, before vanishing in a swirl of black petals that turned into faint dark ash. Gaara closed his eyes, remembering how small she felt in his big arms. How she smelt, how soft and smooth her skin was beneath the crisp hospital gown and how she looked so fragile, so small and delicate.

His eyes flared open, and he promised himself to always protect her-because now, he had a friendship worth fighting for. That and Naruto's kindness.

Because she had not seen the monster within him.

She had seen him.

A human.

* * *

Chiyo had been hoping that Sakura could've woken up from the fall so she could preoccupy herself by teaching her. Over the past few weeks, Chiyo had grown fond of Sakura and no longer cringed when she showed her poisons. Instead, she felt respect, admiration and pride for the young girl. When Sakura would become famous and take the title as the legendary poison maker, Chiyo would be extremely proud to say she was once her student.

She had been worried sick when Gaara had turned up to the hospital with a fallen Sakura in his arms. She and the head of council made sure she had the best medics to look after her before she woke up. Chiyo sighed, slowly packing away her things when she knew that Sakura was probably still in hospital. Maybe she could visit her later, straight after she finished packing away the poison, test tubes-

The door slammed open and Sakura came inside, panting heavily as she raised her gaze and grinned at Chiyo. Sakura had visited the poison factory so many times, security and guards couldn't even be bothered to check if she was the real Sakura Haruno. Chiyo lifted a brow, smirking before helping her carry the thick textbooks inside the locker. Chiyo knew that Sakura never wasted an oppurtunity, and savoured it with delight and glee. The girl had manners, something Tsunade lacked.

"Fifteen minutes late, Sakura. Not good" Chiyo teased lightly. Sakura laughed, closing the locker before putting on some latex gloves and an apron. But Chiyo stopped her, shaking her head side to side and enjoying her confused frown.

"Were going to the training grounds to use our poisons with Sand ninjas and Gaara. We were planning to make you fight with them, but after your fall you have to stay in the side lines and make observations" Chiyo said gently. Sakura was crestfallen, but she sighed and nodded her head. At least she could watch Gaara fight without herself being the opponent. But Sakura knew she was more than capable of fighting even at her state. One of the many pros and cons of having a demon within you.

...Persuade Chiyo-sama to let us fight...

Over the weeks, the demon had grown to respect Chiyo as a well mannered lady who took no nonesense from anybody. Sakura silently promised the demon to do so, since her muscles were stiff and sore. It had been weeks since she had last fought, and she had missed the feeling of being sweaty and bloody. They made their way outside the building, with medic ninjas trailing behind them with carts full of poison covered in cloths.

The training grounds was a twenty minute walk, and it was a vast building with a large room and rows of chairs at the side for the audience. There was Kankarou and a Sand ninja fighting in the middle, with Gaara, Temari, Baki and several other Sand ninjas watching on with keen interest. Sakura meet Gaara's startled gaze, before smiling and waving towards Temari's direction as she laid out some poisons in the table.

The fight subsided into a stop as Chiyo announced her and Sakura were doing an experiment. Before Chiyo, however, could pick some people to fight agaisnt one another armed with her poison and antidotes, Sakura tugged on her sleeve and whispered in her ear. "Please let me fight" she pleaded, looking desperate. Chiyo hesitated, before nodding her head slowly as she announced that a Sand Jounin rank ninja was going to fight Sakura.

Whispers rippled through the crowd as Sakura took several poisons and fastened them inside her pouch, feeling her heart drum with excitement. From the corner of her eye, she saw Gaara look on worried and concerned. She gave him a reassuring smile before stepping inside the middle of the training grounds, feeling the demon's chakra stirr and heal her insides. It never failed to amaze her how the demon could make her insides stronger, the capacity of her lungs bigger and every fibre of her bones full of never ending chakra.

The Sand ninja looked worried to fight a girl, and Sakura felt enraged that she was being underestimated already. So what if she was small and merely a girl? Sakura felt like yelling that she had personally sealed the Shukaku back inside Gaara, fought with Orochimaru and nearly got killed, but surpassed the temptation as Chiyo shouted begin. She charged first, fist pumped with black chakra as she lifted in the air, doing a twist before landing a blow on the man's skull with her ankle.

The ninja hissed in pain, before Sakura roughly grabbed fistfuls of his hair and sent him flying across the arena. The Sand ninja stood up, doing several seals as he held a palm up, Chiyo's poison in his other hand before charging. She smirked, gathering black chakra on her right hand as it swirled violently at her palm. The chakra fused with the poison she added, to create an almost purple glow before she ran at incredible speed.

From the sidelines, Gaara watched on-fascinated by how she could move so easily without hesitation. Suddenly, to everybody's amazement, her eyes turned a startling sapphire blue as she plunged the blow deep inside the solar plexus of the Sand ninja. Chiyo clapped, ending the fight as she pushed the antidote inside the poor ninja's solar plexus. The Sand ninja fluttered his eyes open, giving a nod towards Sakura's direction who bowed low as a sign of respect.

Her eyes were back to normal now, a mossy green as Sakura meet Gaara's gaze and grinned at him. There were no marks at all on her body, only the slight crumple of her clothes as she made her way towards him. Temari and Kankarou gushed on at how amazing she was, while Gaara offered some friendly compliments of his own. Sakura flustered, not used to all the appreciation as she shrugged her shoulders.

"By the way, how did you put the poison inside the ninja?" Temari asked, genuinely curious. Sakura grinned, leaning in to whisper at them. "I fused it with my black chakra ball technique" she murmured, her eyes darting back and forth. Kankarou nodded his head, impressed and newfound respect for the girl as he cleared his throat. Gaara never knew that Sakura could fight like that, their past spars had always been subtle and friendly. He had never seen her so determined, so powerful and dominant.

But Gaara had. Last time he properly fought Sakura was during their failed attempt of invading Konoha. At the moment of insanity, he had allowed Shukaku to enter his being and heart-and had nearly killed her teammates. But before he could pass out due to exhaustion, Gaara could remember vividly that moment when black chakra surronded Sakura's body, her eyes turning a deep, dark shade of cerulean blue and it seemed like the sky was breaking open, pouring out a million, black stars.

She had never brought the topic up. So in return, Gaara didn't as well.

It frightened him so, the other side of Sakura. The mysterious, dark and insane side of her. It was like she had a demon within her when she broke her humanity, a demon within a body of a soft, fragile and frail girl with strange pink hair and wide, emerald green eyes. The Shukaku was never at ease with her, and growled viciously when she had hugged him at the hospital. Gaara never understood the Shukaku's hatred towards Sakura, but had dimissed the thought.

The Shukaku sometimes said that she was a devil, a Destroyer, something that was insane and crazy. He had never believed it, but when he remembered the time Gaara had fought her during the invasion of Konoha and now-he started to believe it. The black chakra that surrounded her body was strong, and she reeked of unholiness and ungodly auro. Never had he felt something as strong as her faint killing intent during the battle that had just happened, apart from his own.

But at least the Sakura he knew was back. Laughing and talking normally, breathing like a human and not driven by such passionate bloodlust. The fighting countinued, until Chiyo's experiment with the poisons ended as her and Sakura headed back to the poison factory. As they headed back, Chiyo was extremely proud of Sakura. The Sand ninjas and several Jounins had asked her who she was, in which she would proudly say that Sakura was actually her student.

Chiyo knew that Sakura had a lot of potential within her, but couldn't help but notice that Sakura was holding back. It would take several hours for a normal ninja to actually see the hesitation in her body language, but since years had fashioned Chiyo into being observant with keen, clever eyes-she saw it easily before it vanished without a trace. Sakura never failed to amaze Chiyo with her grace and ease. It was as if Sakura was dancing when she went in for the kill, such graceful, swift movements that could create fantastic explosions.

Sakura would become one of the greats in the future. Chiyo just hoped that after her two month training with her ended, Sakura could be another student of a great ninja. Preferably a Kage, and could expand her horizons to become amazing. She hoped that one day, Sakura could surpass her and Chiyo could eventually die a happy old, silly lady that people could remember as the teacher of the legendary Haruno Sakura.

They soon found themselves back inside the lab, where the tray full of used antidotes and poisons were placed aside as Chiyo and Sakura made their way inside the staff room. Chiyo made some herbal tea as Sakura rinsed her hands, wiping it with a clean cloth and sighed. After the battle she felt more alive and energetic, since she had spent the past few weeks burrying her nose in her textbooks.

"Thank you, Chiyo-sama" Sakura said gratefully, drinking down the herbal tea. Even after Chiyo had failed many times to try and persuade Sakura to stop using the title, Sakura had refused stubbornly and said it was a sign of respect. Whenever she said that, Chiyo's heart sunk a fraction and she was terribly reminded about her age and wrinkles. She was extremely jealous of Tsunade, managing to pull of a jutsu to make her appear younger and youthful.

They drank in peaceful silence, and as Sakura watched the pale green liquid gently stirr as the wind blew inside, she sighed and shut her eyes. Sakura felt that familiar feeling of loneliness, and Sasuke and Naruto's face flashed before her mind and she nearly choked on her green tea. Sakura coughed, taking deep breaths before standing up. She needed some air and space to think.

"I'm going to get some fresh air" Sakura muttered, and before Chiyo could utter another word-Sakura vanished in a swirl of black petals that gently dropped to the floor and changed into dust. She arrived at the roof of the building, tears streaming down her face as she watched the sun set down. How she wished the pain could be erased, and that she couldn't feel this heavy chain around her heart.

She missed them so much. It hurt to even think about that terrible phase when Sasuke had left. Asylum wards, interrogation wards, slitting her wrists and going insane as the minutes passed on. Sakura sobbed, collapsing on her knees as she grabbed fistfuls of her hair. That heavy, deep scar was slashed across her heart when he left, saying empty promises that he and she knew were never going to happen.

Sakura was tired of keeping it in. She wanted to run, scream, cry and destroy the world. To take Sasuke back and cut open Orochimaru's throat. To breathe again, to feel that heavy chain around her heart drop to the floor so she could actually live. Sakura stared at the sky, tear drops falling to the ground as she clenched her fists and wiped her tears. It seemed like a world away that Team 7 was eating at the ramen resturant, cosy and safe from the brutal world that lay in the shadows, lurking and waiting to strike.

If the world could give her two seconds, Sakura could kill Orochimaru at the Forest of Death with the demon. Break every fibre of his body, so that he could never cause her so much pain, greif and sorrow. Her heart hammered agaisnt her chest wildly, and in a breif moment she felt her insides churn and Sakura screamed, feeling the demon's chakra run all over her body. The power was incredible, radiating so much negative emotion and pain.

Sakura cried, watching through heavy eyelids Sand ninjas surrond her as she screamed and clutched her stomach. Chiyo was shouting orders now, trembling as Gaara wrapped his arms around her protectively. Everything stopped, and the demon subsided into a halt when Sakura fell limp in Gaara's arms. She panted heavily, clutching her chest as she pushed Gaara away and stumbled on her feet, shaking with wide eyes.

She had let the demon taste her dark, shadowed emotions. And in that breif moment, he had tempted release and fused his chakra within her. Tears streamed down her cheek, and she fell on Gaara's chest as she sobbed and twisted his shirt. She could feel his arms wrap around her body, and pressed her face harder agaisnt his chest. The Sand ninjas were dismissed, and Chiyo looked on with a worried face.

"I'm sorry" Sakura whispered, pulling away as she faked a bright smile. Gaara was not fooled, and grabbed her wrists as he gripped her shoulders-smashing his forehead agaisnt hers. Sakura closed her eyes, remembering the countless times she had done this to Sasuke and Naruto and a soft sob escaped from her lips. "It hurts so much, this pain and sorrow. I wish it could go away" she whispered, blinking her eyes before smiling sadly.

"Sometimes, I dream about them-you know? I love them so much, care for them so much. One of them is at hiding and the other...left. I was so broken afterwards, slitting my wrists and crying all the time. I was scared, lonely and frightened-I, it hurts because I loved them, and they loved me-and they just vanished and left me" her voice cracked, and tears streamed down her face faster and faster at each word.

"I miss them so much. I love them. I love them too much. They were my only family, and in a way-we all reached for one another for silent comfort" she countinued, bottom lip quivering as Gaara listened with a soft look on his face. "It hurts. Hurts to much to even think...and breathing, it hurts as well. I don't know why I'm saying this, I should probably shut up. I'm annoying you, aren't I Gaara?" Sakura said, releasing a bitter laugh as she pulled away.

"That feeling, when I feel like I'm drowning. When everything's just a blur around me, silent and calm. When everything doesn't matter, except for them-and I wake up every now and then, ending up crying and crying because of him. It will never be the same, Gaara, Team 7's broken, bloody and scarred. I can't even keep calm when they mention his name, I just break down because I love them! And I'm scared that everybody will leave me, and I'll be all alone-that feeling, it's so..." Sakura trailed off, clutching her heart as she poured out her emotions.

She was such a beautiful sight when she cried. So fragile and frail, broken like a cracked china doll. Gaara felt pain for her, that he couldn't comfort her-that he wasn't the one Sakura yearned for every night and dreamt about. Sakura closed her eyes, breathless as the wind came past and blew strands of her hair upwards.

"It's so beautiful" she whispered, eyes flaring open that were brimmed with tears. Sakura admitted for the first time she was a sadist, loved inflicting pain on herself as a sign of punishment for being the demon's vessel. She laughed, crying as she shook with so much pain and sorrow. Her eyes were full of emotion, dancing and alive, and Gaara never saw her so human. That raw emotion she released when she cried, it was savagely beautiful, and that pain and stories of long lost memories of Team 7 flickering in her eyes.

Gaara had never seen her so beautiful.

So fragile and frail, with the whole world agaisnt her.

But she was something bright, something so captivating and memorable.

A broken heroine of her own story.

"I love you" he breathed, trembling and shaking. But she never heard it, because before he had said those words that formed into the cool air-Sakura fell forwards and landed on top of him, her body so light agaisnt him.

* * *

His jade eyes stared at her fallen form in his bed, the crisp white sheets rustling beneath her body when she shifted her position slightly. Gaara sighed, running a hand through his messy, tangled locks before staring out of the window. He never knew the feeling of bitter love for a person who only regards you as a friend, but it twisted his heart into shreds and made warmth spread across your chest. Gaara sat down on the wooden chair, staring at Sakura's figure as he swallowed hard.

Gaara could not believe he had said those words. He was only glad she didn't hear it, but when he saw that humanity, that story beneath her dark thick lashes and those green eyes-Gaara had seen a suffering girl who wanted nothing more than to be comforted. And Gaara wanted to be that comfort for her.

"Thanks" her voice made him jump in surprise, and he rose from his seat and immediatly scrambled to her side. Sakura shot him a smile, before throwing the covers off and jumping out of the bed. She had at least two minutes before her meeting with the council head started, and quickly slipped on her shoes and bowed low towards Gaara's direction. "Meeting, I'll see you later!" Sakura cried happily, acting as if nothing had happened.

Gaara watched her form vanish through the corridors with a concerned frown and sighed, lowering his gaze at where she once stood before exiting his bedroom and heading outside of his home. He knew that she was in pain, deep beneath that happy face were ugly, deep scars even he couldn't heal. Her past was hidden, shadowed by painful memories that she didn't want to remember anymore-because the following occasion after those happy memories with her Team 7 made it so bitter.

And the worse thing?

She knew that Gaara saw the pain.

Yet she still pretended, smiled and laughed. In a way, he was hurt-what if she was pretending to be happy around him? What if she actually hated him? The possibility of it was large, because Gaara had tried to kill her, but instead nearly killed her teammates who had apparently been healed by Sakura herself. He felt guilt shoot him at the chest like a sharp dagger, and he drew in a sharp exhale as he arrived at his etiquette class.

"Stand straighter!" the old lady's voice came shreiking back, and Gaara jumped-startled and surprised. He straightened his posture, thoughts of Sakura vanishing like a trail of dust as he nodded his head and squared his shoulders. His etiquette teacher nodded her head in approval, dusting his clothes before raising his chin with her wrinkly finger. Gaara shifted on his feet uncomfortably, deciding that he would later talk to Sakura if he had the chance.

But for now, he had to endure etiquette class.

* * *

The large, grey building hovered around him as his eyes scanned the settings for any trace of human life. But the whole area was silent, except for the faint rustle of leaves as a soft breeze came past. Neji nodded, signalling for Ino and Shikamaru to follow him as they crept inside the woods. Their footsteps were hushed by the mossy, thick grass as Neji activated his Byakugan and saw a small passage covered by thick mud.

He took a nearby, rusty shovel before digging away the dirt. Ino wrinkled her nose in disgust, gesturing for the boys to go first as she tugged on the ends of her skirt. Neji nodded, and ducked inside the clearing first with Shikamaru and Ino trailing behind him. They were in the borders of Konoha, the small passage way a short cut so their six day journey could turn into a two day journey. At the other side of the tunnel was a dock, where several boats lay departing for Konoha.

Neji felt the mud scrape his knees and he surpassed a hiss. Bits of mud and stone fell of the ceiling and dropped on his hair, as he shook his head violently as the mud trickled down his hair. They stopped, finding a small, wooden round door as Neji punched it straight-earning a hole as he reached for the clasp. Neji unlocked the clasp, and the door swung open as he scrambled out of the dark tunnel.

Ever since Sakura had left for the two month mission to Suna, Neji was trying to prove himself that he could be strong to endure long missions as well. He trained every single day with Gai and Kakashi, going on more and more mission and lately-daily visits to the hospital. He dusted his clothes, grabbing Shikamaru's arm before he pulled him out. Ino came stumbling out, yelping at the large bruise on her knees and the mud on her hair.

Shikamaru smirked at the sight as they headed to the nearby docks, which Neji estimated was going to be a thirty minute journey. They made their way towards a narrow steep hill, and they climbed down carefully. Ino clutched Shikamaru's arm, nervously feeling the ground for any slopes with her feet before stepping down. Neji easily made his way downwards, waiting patiently for Ino and Shikamaru to come down.

"That took long" Shikamaru remarked. Ino scowled, playfully shoving him past as Shikamaru yelped and stumbled. Neji lifted a brow, clearly amused before they spun around and walked down a clear path. From here, Neji could see a thin line of sparkling blue-the ocean, and was hit by a handful of memories when he remembered the times he and Sakura had took the boat to Kirigakure or the Land of Forest with Shikamaru.

That distant memory echoed through his mind as they reached the docks. The captain of the ship going to Konoha was an elderly, drunk man whoose breath stank of fish and sake. He grinned at them, flashing them his yellow, black teeth. Ino surpassed a gag as the captain leaned towards her, his foul breath fanning her face as he shamelessly flirted with Ino. Shikamaru stood in the background, smirking and chuckling at Ino's bad luck.

As Neji paid for all their travel expenses, they slowly made their way to the boat where they were escorted to their cabins by an elderly lady who was the cook. The cabin had a faded, golden plaque that said 427 with a golden door knob. Inside, the cabin smelt fresh and clean and new. There were three separated beds, with an en-suite bathroom, one large wardobe and bed side tables separating each bed.

Neji nodded his head with satisfaction, dumping his bag on the bed nearest to the window. He opened the window, and a blast of warm air came billowing in, making strands of his hair fly around his face. He sighed, a far away look in his eye when he recalled laying once at the top of a boat with Sakura, enjoying the cool breeze and the warm sun. He was more than determined to be stronger the minute she came back, and was looking forward when her two month stay would end.

For now, he'd just have to train, train and train.

* * *

The meeting had been longer than Sakura had expected. The financial problems the council head had given her consisted of making her doing stacks of paperwork and too much thinking. Now Sakura knows how Tsunade seemed to crave some sort of distraction-alcohol. She sighed, rubbing her temples as she folded her documents and gave them to the council head. He nodded in approval, dismissing her as she ran out gratefully.

Her footsteps echoed through the vast corridor as she ran down a flight of stairs, wanting to go to the nearest resturant to eat before heading back to the hotel. Sakura was extremely tired, the stress was building up until she thought she was going to explode. Just when she was about to twist the door knob and step outside Suna on a late afternoon, there was a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turned around, meeting the nervous gaze of Gaara as she shifted on her feet awkwardly.

"Can we talk?" he asked. Sakura lifted a brow, but nodded her head as she ignored the hunger at the pit of her stomach. They entered the empty reception area, where Gaara sat down on a wooden chair looking worried. "I was just wondering if you were okay" he confessed. Sakura blinked, touched by his concern as a soft look settled down on her face and she nodded wordlessly. "Also, I was...wondering if you were upset because of me" Gaara finished, gripping the edges of his shirt.

"Why would you think that?" Sakura asked in disbelief. She was not expecting that one bit, what had she done to harm or hurt Gaara in a way? But realization dawned to her as her expression changed. He thinks I'm pretending to be nice to him, she thought with wonder in her eyes. But Gaara had a reason to think that, she thought, because he had killed her teammates. If it weren't for the demon, they'd be dead by now. Not Naruto, but Sasuke.

"I think you know" he replied. She slowly nodded her head, and they shared a pregnant pause before he sighed and stood up. "I just hope it won't be awkward between us" Gaara finished, running a hand through his hair. Sakura smiled softly at him, standing up as she hesitated before adding. "Want to go eat with me?" she asked hopefully. Gaara was pleasently surprised, and nodded his head as both of them headed out of the building.

They reached the nearest resturant, and they sat down on the comfy chairs as food was served rather quickly. Sakura drank her herbal tea, before slicing her steak as she popped the meat inside her mouth and sighed with satisfaction at the taste. Gaara felt his heart hammer wildly agaisnt his chest, and he gripped the edges of the leather seat before taking a long sip of his tea. He was still confused over his newfound feelings. Did he really...love Sakura? The thought echoed through his mind as he felt warmth ripple across his chest.

He was knew to the feeling love. Gaara had never experienced it or gave it, and it was new to him. It felt weird to be around her, he could feel something spark within the pit of his stomach, leaping out until it spreaded through his body and sent his emotions overload. It felt strange and electrifying, and he felt an exploding anger when a male even glanced at her. He had heard that love was a tender thing, but obsession was fueled by lust and passion.

"Thanks for inviting me" he murmured softly. Sakura lifted her gaze, smiling at him as Gaara clenched his jaw tightly. He loved it when she smiled at him for some sort of reason, the corners of her mouth would twitch upwards and brighten her features. And she was even more dazzling when she laughed, the sound just like gentle bells colliding agaisnt eachother in perfect harmony. But what made him bewitched was when she cried at the most rarest of times. Her cheeks would be flushed, her eyes dancing and alive, skin shimmering like she was made of gold and her tousled hair billowing around her slightly tanned face.

Gaara quickly paid for their meal, earning a deep scowl from Sakura as they stood up from their seats in unison. "Sparr with me!" she begged, her voice pleading. Gaara hesitated, not wanting to create an bodily harm but the desperate look in her face made him nod wordlessly. She grinned, grabbing his wrist as she dragged him to the training grounds. He felt his pulse quicken at the feel of her small, frail hands circling around his wrist and remembered that these were the very same hands that nearly destroyed a Sand ninja.

The training grounds were empty, with the light streaming from the glass ceiling as Sakura ran towards the middle of the clearing. Gaara stood in front of her, and he watched her lunge forward. Automaticlly, a sand sheild appeared in front of him-but much to his utter disbelief and the Shukaku's, Sakura dived straight in, a grin on her face. Her face was inches away from his, her forehead gently brushing agaisnt his before he felt her hands grab his shoulders and sent him hurtling across the training grounds.

Gaara managed to land on his face, flustered as he panted lightly. From the distance, he could hear Sakura laugh as she leapt to the air-doing a perfect twist as her ankle aimed for the side on his ribcage. The sand leapt up, forming as a hand as it grabbed her ankle and made her dangle midair. Gaara smirked at the sight of her, and she scowled before vanishing into black petals. A hand shot from the ground, dragging him underneath as Gaara was helplessly trapped in an genjutsu.

He found himself in a dark clearing, black flames erupting around him as Sakura's voice seemed to come from different directions. He saw a light, and he raised a hand to grab it before he felt a blow land on his spine. The genjutsu dissappeared, leaving a satisfied yet slightly worried Sakura as she paused for a second before rushing to his side. Gaara really didn't want to fight her, he didn't want to feel that thick killing intent and possibly harm her.

"You okay? We can stop if you like" she said worriedly, pulling him up gently as she swung his arm around her shoulders. Gaara nodded his head gratefully, sitting down on the wooden seat as he panted and ran a finger through his hair. Sakura was strong, and he knew that and was stupid enough to underestimate her. She sat next to him, a worried frown on her face as she placed a gentle hand on his back. Gaara could feel warmth from his back spread, and he instantly knew that she was healing him.

"Thanks" he muttered. Sakura smiled gently, finishing the healing as she sighed and leaned agaisnt the chair. They shared a moment of peaceful silence, the sun's rays slanting across the room as it illuminated their faces. Over the weeks, Sakura's skin colour had changed from an ivory, porcelain complexion to a healthy shade of tan that contrasted with her startling green, vivid eyes and pastel pink locks.

Even her hair was covering half of her back, and Sakura could not find a motivation to cut it. Besides, a new look couldn't possibly hurt right? In a way, Sakura was kind of sick and tired of waking up every morning and changing into the same red shirt and knee length blue pants. It was probably the time to change and freshen her appearance, maybe just to show physically that she wasn't the old Haruno Sakura-but a new one.

...A rebirth...

The demon's voice startled her, and she jumped earning a glance from Gaara as she laughed nervously. She could start tomorrow, at the thirty minute break Sakura could go around some shops with Temari's guidance and buy some new clothes. Sakura had enough money to buy some decent clothing and weapons for herself, and with Temari's guidance nothing could go wrong could it? She could just imagine Temari's delight on her favour, and a small smirk graced her lips.

"It's getting dark. You want me to walk you to the hotel?" Gaara asked, breaking the silence. Sakura nodded gratefully, and they stood up in unison as they exited the training grounds. And as they walked down the clear path in peaceful harmony, the sky was tinged with rose gold, streaks of lavender, blue and pink scattered across the sky like splattered paint with fluffy clouds floating. A flock of doves came flying past, and the sand swirled around their ankles as Sakura closed her eyes breifly and smiled.

She really would miss the desert when she came back to Konoha.

And Gaara.

* * *

I actually finished this chapter. Oh my.

I've been so busy lately, it's insane. Ballet, study, ballet, study, KFC (yeah...) and more ballet. My life is exhausting and I sometimes find myself too sore to even type. Or my creativeness has vanished without a trace of a spot and I can think of nothing to type. It's a deadly feeling people. Hope you've enjoyed, sorry about the delays, feel free to message me and please, please review.

Reviews are good motivation for the writer. Bad or good ones.

Please also add my story to your favorites! After I'm finished with New Generation, I'll de editing it before FINALLY adding a sequel which I've already planned out like beast. Hope you've enjoyed, feel free to drop by my Wattpad account which is totally crap but you know.

Bye!


	22. Chapter 22

That night, Sakura seemed to wake up and find herself surronded by a field of red roses, some tangled deep into her hair and some perched behind her ears. She blinked, clearly confused as she stared at the mauve coloured sky and realized she must be within the demon's fantasy land. The demon had a beautiful habit of creating such beautiful illusions Sakura fell helplessly in love with.

The land was full of red roses as far as the eye could see, with rose tinged clouds and a strange pale lilac moon. Her clothes had changed into a simple, white and floaty dress with thin straps. Her feet were bear, full of small scars of the sharp thorns that quickly dissappeared due to the dewy wetness of the roses. Sakura felt a cool breeze rustle past, and the crown of roses on her head fell to the ground.

She bent over to pick it up, but a pale hand shot up and gently brushed agaisnt hers. Sakura looked up, the amber pendant in which Rin's mother had given her, hanging midair as she caught the gaze of the human form of the demon. His once wide crimson eye had turned into two, and he nearly looked like a human-except from the striking white complexion of his and his almost other-worldly beauty and elegance.

He gently placed the rose crown on her head, and Sakura whispered a soft thank you as she stared deep into his crimson eyes. Suddenly, it seemed like the whole vision cracked like glass as the illusion vanished and she found herself inside a vast, dark and gloomy sanctuary of the demon. Sakura was dissapointed, and meet the eye of the demon as she stared at him without flinching. Her and the demon had found an unspoken agreement to meet every night, when her body would sleep yet her mind would run wild and free.

"Hello Izanagi" he said, his voice causing the hallway to slightly shake. Sakura nodded in awknoledgement, noticing the wooden throne chair that wasn't there before and hesitated-before sitting down carefully. Her clothes were back to normal now, a red shirt and blue pants, and the rose crown wasn't on her head anymore. The demon stared at her, his eye searching for any trace of threat in her body before he flicked his tails.

Sakura was transported into a sumptous room, with flickering candles and plush, velvet sofas as she lifted a brow in awe and surprise. The human form of the demon appeared, dramaticlly flapping his dark cape around him like a pair of wings before bowing politely. It seemed like the human form of the demon was something else, sophisticated and well-mannered, whilst the true demon was ghastly and really did not care the slightest if he was rude towards Sakura.

"Tea?" he asked gently. Sakura nodded, and a porcelain cup was handed to her as she cradled it into her hands before taking a long sip. "Thank you" she muttered, meeting his gaze for a breif moment before she enjoyed the silence. But it seemed like the demon was restless tonight, for he quickly changed the illusion and Sakura found herself inside a glass, marble boat in the middle of a sapphire blue ocean with a golden sky.

The ocean was full of floating roses, with lit lanters floating in the air as if they were hung by invisible strings as the boat slowly moved. Sakura was wearing a deep red kimono the colour of dark blood, with her hair twisted into an elegant updo with roses hanging. She saw the man, hands clapsed behind him as he marvelled the scenary of the ocean.

"Tell me about yourself" she asked boldly, rather tired of the silence. He was rather taken aback, but he composed himself as he thought for a second on what to say. "My name is Jubi, the name I share with the demon, but I like to call myself Yomi-which means the underworld" he said, his voice cutting through the silence like a sharp blade. Sakura lifted a brow in shock, but nodded as she gestured for him to countinue.

"I was born since the beginning of time, the human twin form of the Ten Tails. Me and my twin have been searching for the ultimate vessel, one who can lead this world to either peace of destruction. I hope that person will lead the world to peace, the Jubi hopes it can lead it to mass destruction" he calmly said. Sakura digested this information in silence as she nodded wordlessly. "Jubi and I are both commited to you one hundred per cent, allowing you to take some of our chakra when the time is needed. But the problem is that sometimes, Jubi can go insane and try to take control of you" Yomi finished, taking a long sip of his green tea before his gaze settled on her form.

Sakura nodded, delirously happy that this wasn't the same beast or whatever he was that tried to taunt her, send her nightmares of baby's flesh and insult her in a sneer. Yomi was the complete opposite of his ghastly demon twin, bred a gentlemen and elegant. But Sakura knew that somewhere beneath that calm facade of his was also a demon, lurking in the shadows that would show up in the rarest of times. Besides, Yomi looked kinder and much more softer than the Ten Tails, which made her happy.

"Who was your first ever vessel?" Sakura asked out of curiosity. Yomi blinked, clearing his throat and finished his cup of tea before pouring some more. "We have had many, many vessels since me and my twin have been around for billions and billions of years. But our most famous vessel was the Sage of the Six Paths, and maybe someday-you might be another legend" he declared, looking proud. Sakura was taken aback and held her breath-to be called a legend would be a great honour for her, but Sakura could never accept the title if Naruto and Sasuke did not. No way was she going to be a legend without Naruto and Sasuke.

"What type of Jutsu could you do?" she said. Yomi smiled mysteriosly, his floor length hair gently brushing agaisnt the floor. "Every single Jutsu in the whole universe that was ever created or even exitinct. And you have the pleasure to access it, if you are strong enough of course" he said. Sakura gasped, clearly shocked and excited by the whole ordeal and bit her bottom lip. To be able to do every Justu would be amazing, but all that power seemed to make her shudder with delight.

"Every tailed beast has a rare, special Jutsu. The Kyuubi can sense negative emotions, while the Jubi has the power of knowing everything. His and my knowledge are forever endless, since billions of years have fashioned us to being extremely smart" Yomi remarked, giving out a soft chuckle. Sakura smiled, enjoying the fact that Yomi wasn't even trying the slightest to hide his modesty now. What struck her was that he looked young, around his younger twenties and has rather strikingly handsome-it was as if time had not noticed him and his beauty had stood still.

"I'm trying to persuade Jubi to stop calling you Izanagi but Gaia. But Persephone would suit you as well, considering that the title Hades could be given to me and Jubi" he said. Sakura was rather confused. Who was Gaia, Persephone and Hades? These names were foreign to her, and she gave Yomi a confused glance as he gently smiled at her. "Gaia is a goddess, the mother of us all. The personification of Earth, ruler of heaven, earth, ocean and sky. Persephone is the spring goddess, and Hades is the ruler of the Underworld who captures her" he said, in a way that made it seem like an ancient chant.

Sakura was extremely shocked to be even suggested to be called Gaia, the mother of the lords and the ruler of the universe. She gave Yomi a puzzled look, trying to calm her hammering heart as she rose from her seat, angrily slamming her hand agaisnt the table between her and Yomi. "Why are you comparing me to such powerful and majestic ladies when I am nothing but a child, a girl!" she said angrily, trembling.

Yomi smiled gently, reaching a hand as he stroked her cheek with a soft, kind look in his face. Sakura immediatly calmed down, burrying her face agaisnt his hard chest as her shallow breaths became quiter and quiter until it eventually stopped. But what he said next was something she could never quite forget, for it would be forever imprinted in her mind until the end of the world came and everything would vanish.

"Because I and Jubi believe you are the Phropecy Child alongside with Naruto and Sasuke. The legends, the greats, the powerful who are seperated in different paths-but will eventually stumble on anothers paths soon, when the time is right. I believe you are the Mother of us All, the ruler of heaven, earth, ocean and sky. I believe so many, many things I fear I cannot tell you because you are right. Now you are still a young girl, but soon, very, very soon you will become a powerful, majestic woman"

And everything faded, the colours are blurred from her vision as the whole world seemed to take mercy on her and finally let her sleep.

* * *

Gaara stared into space, watching as the sun lifted from the horizon and beamed it's rays onto Suna's many, many buildings. He could see the few, early people filling the streets as they prepared for Suna's daily market days and sighed. The blissful wind came swirling past, running through his locks as Gaara opened the balcony door and stepped inside the warmth of his bedroom. His bed was neatly done, with a shimmer of dust in the edges of the room and a thick, plush carpet on the floor. It looked unlived in, for he was always busy-and besides, Gaara never slept.

Today was just going to be like any typical day. If he was lucky, Gaara could find a glimpse of Sakura in the tall poison 'factory' as she so fondly calls it. The day would be fueled with paperwork, sparrs and short lunches in nearby resturants with Baki. Temari and Kankarou were doing their prospective training-Temari training to be part of the council and Kankarou teaching the puppet hopefuls of the future some tricks and ways.

He sighed, rummaging inside his closet to find his red cape before the door opened with a bang and Temari entered, alarmed and lightly panting. She gasped, clutching her chest as Gaara furrowed his brows in concern.

"Some bodies have been seen, the council needs you Gaara" Temari said. Gaara nodded, and they both raced out of the house in incredible speed. When they arrived at the scene, he found Sakura and Chiyo kneeling beside two bodies of Suna ninjas, their skin slowly rotting like melted candle wax. He clenched his jaw, feeling anger flare within the pit of his stomach at the scene of dead, Suna ninjas and meet the almost-tearful gaze of Sakura who looked hallow and weak.

"I can't heal them" she said quietly, dropping her gaze. Chiyo shot her a sympathetic look, rubbing Sakura's shoulder before she ordered some medic nins to preserve the bodies for experiments. Sakura hated the sight of death and rotting bodies-and though she couldn't really heal the dead bodies because she was too late, Sakura felt like a failure. She closed her eyes breifly, soaking her blood stained hands with water and soap before moving away from the crowd.

The ordeal ended, with medic nins dragging the bodies in two beds with a cloth over them, heads bowed low with sorrowful faces. In the corner, Chiyo and the council were talking in hushed voices, while Baki and his team were busy investigating the murder scene. It was obvious that somebody, a tresspasser had slaughtered the bodies-and as Gaara's grim face meet the lingering stare of Sakura, she shot him a weak smile before vanishing in a swirl of black petals.

In the next twenty minutes, Gaara found himself sitting in the council table with Temari beside him wearing a large, white cape and Kankarou behind him. Just yesterday Gaara received the news that Temari had finally made it into the council, and found respect and pride for his sister's accomplishment. She looked serious and grim underneath the whole facade of her grand cape though, and even Kankarou wasn't joking around.

"What are your thoughts about this, Gaara?" the council head asked. He thought of what to say, before Sakura appeared next to the council head and bowed respectfully. She took a seat in the wooden chair next to the council head, where she was greeted formally. "The body is obviously a week old, due to the estimation of Chiyo and have unknown poison in their body system. Genuinely, I think a tresspasser or possibly a traitor has done such gruesome acts, for a reason that we have yet to uncover in the next hours or so" Gaara finished, his hands trembling underneath the red cape.

Temari gave him a proud look, smiling. Sakura, however, had an impassive face that intimidated the council and Gaara. She shuffled a couple of papers, looking mature beyond her years in a Hokage hat and an emerald green cloak. She looked like a commanding figure, and when Gaara would find himself dressed in similar robes as the next Kazekage-he felt like a child playing dress up.

"I agree with Gaara-san. Obviously, the best of Suna's team, which is Baki's team have been investigating and me and Chiyo are joining forces with them to give them updates about the body" Sakura said, her voice cold and stable. The council nodded, eyes darting at her figure with almost awed looks on their faces. The meeting ended shortly afterwards, and Sakura was rather dissappointed that she couldn't be able to take a day off. Now she knew how Tsunade felt.

As the council filed out with Temari and Kankarou, Sakura was left with Gaara, Chiyo and the council head with Baki and his team in the corner. She sighed, rubbing her temples as she took off the Hokage hat and pushed it aside. The harsh, orange light defined her hallow cheeks, sharp cheekbones and the dark circles outlining her eyes. Gaara felt pity for Sakura, knowing that she probably spent all night doing paperwork and now this trouble just so happened to occur.

And unlike Gaara, she was the substitute Hokage and the representative. So naturally, Sakura had to be involved in this buisness. She meet his gaze and smiled weakly, and the stern, cold facade of hers vanished like ash as Chiyo gently patted her head. "Sorry for all this, Haruno-san. It seems like their is a disturbance to your long-awaited rest" the council head said sympatheticlly. Sakura smiled at him, nodding her head as she rubbed her bleary eyes and cleared her throat.

"Chiyo and the medic ninjas have already detected poison in both of the dead bodies around the solar plexus, in the chest and in the neck. Baki has informed us that the tresspassers have used a rather gruesome way of killing them, which will be declared during the next meeting. The two ninjas have had a free-criminal record, Baki and his team have been questioning relatives and friends to find out if anybody has held grudges on both of them which could possibly lead to their unfortunate deaths. Baki will inform us with more intel tomorrow morning or afternoon" Sakura finished, sounding weary and tired.

The council head nodded, shuffling a couple of papers as they shared a moment of silence. "Out of sympathy, I will dimiss you Haruno-san because it is right you have a rest. Chiyo or I may have over-worked you too much yesterday, and for that we are terribly sorry" the council head said. Sakura felt anger boil up within her stomach-they were underestimating her again, thinking that she was merely a child who couldn't cope with political stress. She gritted her teeth, but nodded her head wordlessly as she rose from her seat and placed the Hokage hat on her head, bowing low as she stepped out of the vast meeting hall.

* * *

The minute Sakura stepped inside her hotel room, she fell to the floor with a soft thud-the Hokage hat rolling on the floor. She opened her eyes, finding herself in a grand parlour with extravagant interiors. Outside the glass windows showed the sparkling, blue ocean with a golden sky, lit by millions and millions of lanterns floating in the air. Sakura opened the balcony door, revealing beautiful, plush green fields full trees in a cluster of tight groups.

There was a gentle tap on her shoulder as Sakura spun around, meeting the gaze of a strange lady wearing a sumptous kimono with a white, simple mask covering half of her face except for her red tinted lips. She bowed low, clicking her elegant, long fingers as two young girls appeared on either side, carrying clothings with pleasent smiles on their faces. Sakura lifted a brow in confusion, wondering what the Jubi was up to as the vision faded.

She found herself in the middle of a white, clear lake full of red petals. Sakura was wearing a thin, white nightgown with a silver headdress, their chains dangling from her hair as she felt a swirl of blue, chakra surrond her petite body. It vanished, and she opened her dewy eyes to find herself wearing black shorts, with a red silk kimono top and the amber necklace hanging around her neck.

The lady appeared again, with Yomi beside her as they inspected her. Yomi shook his head, his hair gently splashing around the lake as the lady bowed gracefully before clicking her fingers. The blue chakra appeared again, swirling around her as Sakura closed her eyes. She wondered what was happening, but in a midst of self-pity for herself-Sakura let herself be spoiled by Yomi. Their last encounter had rose questions in her head, questions that could possibly be answered in the coming future.

Blue chakra vanished, and she stumbled on her feet as she opened her eyes again. This time, she was wearing a dark blue tight dress that reached the ends of her thigh, with black knee length pants and a baggy red wrap over around her torso. Yomi wrinkled his nose, shaking his head vigourosly as Sakura tugged on the piece of clothing, before the blue chakra clouded her vision yet again.

Moments passed, clothing after clothing Sakura realized how picky Yomi could truly be. The masked lady beside him often threw her hands in the air with frustration, before nodding her head wordlessly and clicking her fingers. This time the chakra around her was much stronger, more thick as it somehow touched her skin and went under her flesh. Sakura gasped, arching her back as she felt electrifying energy running up and down her bones.

It stopped abruptly, and the chakra vanished as she fell on her knees and panted lightly. The lady helped her up, and she took a step back so Yomi could see. Sakura was wearing a crimson red jumpsuit that ended at the bottom of her thighs, with a dragon stitched in silver thread running up and down. It had a high collar outlined in black, with short sleeves bearing a white circle on either sides. On her feet were knee high red boots, stitched with the same silver dragons around it with socks the colour of a baby's flesh peeking from the edges of the boots. On her hands were fingerless, black gloves and her elbows had a protective black cover. Her hair was longer, loose on her shoulders as Sakura held a black katana with a silver dragon handle.

She held her breath, staring at her reflection in the lake. The girl couldn't possibly be her, she looked alarmingly dangerous in a dazzling, beautiful way. Her cheeks were flushed a rosy pink, her eyes shimmering and her skin smooth agaisnt the pale light of the mauve moon. Yomi lifted her chin with a thin finger, his crimson eyes searching for her face as he rubbed a hot liquid on her forehead, causing her now exposed Yin seal to shine.

"Rebirth" he whispered. Before everything turned dark, the edges of the illusion faded away by black flames.

* * *

Her different figure stopped him, and Gaara had to take a moment to realize that it was Sakura. The familiar crisp, red shirt and blue pants that smelt distinctly like poisons and bleach was something he was eerily familiar with. But the scent of new clothes, as if they were fresh from washing, stopped him in his tracks as he surveyed her figure. Sakura spun around, her slightly longer hair floating around her as a breeze came whistling past.

She smiled at him, the dragons on her clothing shimmering agaisnt the sun's rays as she approached him. Gaara exhaled her scent-fine jasmine and plumes and swallowed, feeling euphoria enhance his body. "Treat me to lunch, I'm so tired" she pleaded, and he could only nod wordlessly. They made their way to the nearest resturant, where a kind waitress handed them leather menus.

The resturant was half full, with a laughing family at one corner and a lone man sitting in the bar, drinking in the midst of a late afternoon. Their food came within minutes, and Sakura heartily drank her water-her new clothes faintly rustling as she shifted in her position. She was extremely grateful for Yomi, who was kind enough to settle things his way and give her a complete new rebirth so Sakura wouldn't have the displeasure to do so.

"Thanks Gaara, I'll treat you next time" Sakura said, cutting the peaceful silence. Gaara nodded breifly, aware of the black katana that was strapped to her back as he took small, sneaky glances at it. The silver dragon handle seemed to shimmer even though there was only a faint, orange glow from the lights above them. In a way, Gaara found Sakura looking different-that subtle appearance was changed to a much more defined, stronger version of Sakura who never failed to impress him at everything she done.

Long gone was the Sakura who wore simple clothing, the girl eating her steak in front of him was a proud shinobi of her village, a girl who spoke of wisdom beyond her years and had a dazzling, expensive looking outfit that could leave people the impression that she was royalty. Wherever she got the outfit, it couldn't possibly be from Suna-not even the Kazekage's robes were made from such fine silk and thread.

Yet the Shukaku was yet again uneasy in her prescence, growling viciously when she would meet his gaze and smiled. But what never failed to confuse Gaara was that the Shukaku didn't hate Sakura, in fact he was intimidated by her. It seemed like the Shukaku shrunk in her prescence, as if she were some unholy creature who ruined his strange peace. The same thing happened when the Shukaku meet Naruto, he sensed deep and powerful chakra within him-something that the Shukaku claimed that Sakura had, that was far more majestic and powerful than he had ever encountered.

Yes, Gaara had to admit Sakura was strong-enough to actually defeat him when the Shukaku took over him and beat a Sand Jounin-but she couldn't possibly be that strong, could she? Sakura was merely a girl, somebody who had yet to experience the horrors of the world, the blood and the gruesome deaths. And right in cue, he felt the Shukaku laugh bitterly within him-the sound vibrating through the walls.

He was pulled back to reality when he heard a faint clutter of knives collide agaisnt the plates, and Gaara realized that he had finished his lunch and the waitress was collecting the empty dishes. Sakura wiped her mouth, finishing her drink as she thanked Gaara, fastening the katana on her back with gloved hands. "I'm going out for a walk, do you want to come with me?" Sakura asked hopefully, clasping her hands behind her back.

And in that breif moment, Gaara saw a child. A frail one, and all thoughts of her being unholy vanished on the spot as he nodded his head. The Shukaku was wrong, Sakura was not a demon, or a devil-she was a human, alive and breathing, who experienced pain and emotion like a human and laughed.

Gaara rose from his seat, walking beside Sakura as they strolled down an empty street, gazing at the sun that was slowly vanishing into the horizon.

* * *

Amongst those beautiful, lush and green mountains, the sparkling streams that ran down the rolling hills and the thick, cluster of trees full of species yet to be discovered-lies a ghastly place, full of bones from ancient animals and vines running up and down these bones. And deep down, where the trees were thicker, where the forest was wilder-lies a majestic, haunted stone castle with an ivory tower in the middle.

Once that ivory tower was the source of innocence, with an ivory flag billowing in the wind. Now it was forgotten, faded and old. The flag was merely a pathetic sheet of white cloth, covered in ivy and dead roses. Inside the tower it once had magnificent rooms, once sparkling and shimmering as if every bit of it was made of gold. Now every room was empty, covered in white sheets except for the top one.

There is a myth, that if you climb all the way up to the top room you could still se her-a young child, laughing and dancing wearing a pure white dress and a limp daisy chain perched up in her hair. Laughing with a man, whose kind face is scarred and ugly now, who is a madman stuck in an illusion. But that ivory tower was nothing more than a distant dream, something that will never happen again, something that was nothing more than a beautiful nightmare.

And on that stormy night, did the man realize that he was doing some sinful. He was tainting a young, innocent girl with his fingers that killed many, many people. And he let her go, he let her escape from his fingers and run, run wild and free out of the tower-breaking the illusion like shards of glass. You know what was the last thing she ever said to him, those last words that he could never forget-that made him driven by madness and greed?

"I'll always be in your heart, Obito, because I love you"

In a quick, click of the fingers-she vanished like that into the night. He heard that she was founded again by the Third Hokage, and was relieved that the kind man had the decency to take care of the girl he loved so much because of her pure heart. Obito knew that behind that facade was a demon, lurking in the shadows but he had hoped that his plan would work without the demon.

This world he lived in was brutal and ugly. He had watched Rin die in the hands of his comrade, and watched the girl who gave him hope run away from his life.

The world had fashioned him into a criminal, a mad and insane man who was eternally broken and caught up in an illusion, where a young girl laughed and loved him with her dearest, golden heart.

For now, he'd just have to hide in the shadows, waiting for the right time to strike and take her. Take her in his arms and create the Ivory Tower again, where they could spend many happy years again.

But as he said, he'd just have to wait.

Obito put on his orange mask, and stepped out of his room with a sinister look in his eyes.

* * *

The Jubi had a strange habit on sending her dreams.

Every night Sakura would wake up in a new place, whether it be a cliff with an ocean full of diamonds or a golden palace high up in the mountains. Each dream was not like the last one, a dreamy atmosphere that enhanced her mind with euphoria. Tonight, she woke up in the middle of a field with grass so thick and soft it could put velvet to shame. In the middle was a red and white checked blanket, with Yomi calmly pouring herbal tea as Sakura stood up and approached him.

"Tea?" he asked, voice deep. Sakura nodded as she sat down on a soft cushion, chewing the dangos thoughtfully as she sighed. She looked forward to these visits, and often lay down on her bed, sleeping so she could slip away from brutal reality and come back to the hazy, dreamy wonderland Jubi created. And every time she did, Sakura never regretted it-ever. The world she lived inside her mind was something beautiful and exquisite, something that was her own, personal haven and sanctuary.

Because sometimes the world she dreamt of was much more kinder than the world she lived in.

But it was sweet salvation while it lasted. Sakura drank the herbal tea, bliss taking over her body as she sighed with ecstasy. It seemed like Jubi and Yomi offered only the best, from the fine surrondings to the wonderful food that was always finely shaped and cut. Maybe I could take Sasuke and Naruto in here, she thought with an amused face, but her smile quickly vanished when she thought of her comrades.

The lovely vision faded, and Sakura found herself sitting down in a large, marble throne that was floating in the ice blue water full of white petals. Yomi was standing on the water, still as a statue as he slowly moved-the water rippling beneath his feet. She watched him with mild interest as he lifted a hand, and a water dragon leapt from the icy waters as it circled around Yomi's shoulder. Sakura lifted a brow, leaning agaisnt the throne as her clothes rustled faintly.

"What's all this?" Sakura asked, midly bewildered as a large display of dragons came. They all flew across the sky, before exploding into a display of fireworks. The sky was constantly changing, flashing as it illuminated her face. "Because you were sad, Gaia and as a duty as your slave, I am fully intent to make you happy" he said, his words lingering in the air. Sakura meet his gaze, remembering their last encounter as his words replayed on her mind.

...I believe you are the Mother of us All, the ruler of heaven, earth, ocean and sky...

She said nothing, merely lowering her gaze as she stared at the clear, clear ocean that showed multi coloured fish-their scales shimmering as the fireworks erupted yet again. Yomi saw her disinterest almost imediatly and clicked his fingers, and the whole illusion vanished. He was rather perplexed by her attitude-what did she want? Was she not satisfied by the beauty and charm of her surrondings? Now Yomi knew why Jubi seemed to take a fascination on the girl, she kept him on his edge.

Besides, the girl had an eye technique he had never seen or heard of before-and it intrigued him. Yomi had yet to see her eyes turn a dazzling shade of sapphire as Jubi so seems to call it, and had read somewhere that the eye technique belonged to a once powerful family, who controlled the heavens and was feared by their great knowledge and power-so feared that all the countries of the world had joined forces to destroy them a long time ago.

But it couldn't be possible. Sakura couldn't possibly be from that family. Unfortunetly for Yomi, he did not possess the skill of his twin brother on giving people the power of vision to see their long lost memories. And if he did, Yomi would waste no time and offer that to Sakura. They found themselves in a grand library, with a fire at the gigantic fireplace flickering as it's orange flames leapt out.

"If you allow me to do so, Gaia-sama. I would much like to see your eye technique" Yomi asked politely. Unlike his twin brother, Yomi was a gentleman, with such polite manners it could struck anybody. Sakura was rather taken aback from his request and slowly nodded, and she closed her eyes. Yomi waited patiently, before her long lashes flared open and he nearly jumped on his bed. Her eyes were a vivid shade of sapphire blue, putting any crystal and diamond to shame for they shimmered as if they were alive.

He was struck by their captivating beauty and he stared at them with keen interest. He had never seen such an eye technique before, and Yomi possessed the Rinnengan to the Sharingan. Sakura's eyes turned back normal to their soft, mossy green as she gave Yomi a small, faint smile. "Tell me, since you know everything-what eye technique is this called?" Sakura asked curiosly, her voice challenging.

"I have never seen anything quite like it" Yomi replied breathlessly. Sakura smiled at him, tilting her head to the side as she sighed wearily. "I must sleep, I have a feeling I have a busy day tomorrow" Sakura said. It took some moments for the information to sink in as Yomi was too caught up with the image of her eyes, and he nodded feverishly before he clapped his hands. The illusion faded, and Sakura found herself in the comfort of her soft bed.

She shut her eyes, chest rising and falling as sleep overcame her.

* * *

As days passed, Suna was suffering from a chain of confusing events.

First was the discovery of two Suna ninjas, the second a whole massacre of a young family and the death of a young, fisherman. Sakura wrinkled her nose in confusion at the whole ordeal and sighed, inwardly groaning as she clutched fistfuls of her hair. She had asked the council head to let her in on the investagation and was regretting it now. Everything was too confusing, unsolved questions just kept on appearing on the list with more and more deaths of villagers.

It was rather depressing, how Suna was hit by such a crisis that even their best team could not solve. Sakura stared outside of her hotel window, looking bored beyond belief as she rubbed her weary eyes. She hated not knowing anything, Sakura was praised for her incredible knowledge and she was not about to lose that because a murderer out there was possibly just being smart. Every single body of the poor victims held no marks, they were all the same with white, fearful eyes and open mouths with hanging, fat tongues. After several weeks, the bodies would melt like candle wax before it was a corpse.

Her and Chiyo had spent endless amount of hours studying on these human bodies, trying to at least find one fingerprint that could lead to the suspect-to no avail. Baki's team wasn't doing very good, and the best thing they could sum up was food poisoning. It was rather pathetic, how a great country could accuse food poison to the suspect of these crimes. Sakura threw her hands in the air in frustration, standing up as she slipped her shoes inside before heading out with her katana.

She was rather annoyed she had not solved the mystery yet. Sakura rather regretted not taking Shikamaru and Neji with her, since they were the smart ones. ANBU was completely useless, and did not deserve to be caught up in a web of tangled mystery. Root had gone back to Konoha for unknown reasons before the killing happened, and somebody had the audacity to actually blame them! But there were no clues, so that false accusation was merely laughed at by Sakura.

"I need air" she muttered, stepping out of the hotel as she headed down the path. Sakura had sent a message to Tsunade about the crisis, and she had yet to reply. She wrinkled her nose in disgust at the smell as she neared a stream, before she placed a gloved hand over her nose and stepped closer and closer. The fragrance was strong, smelling of root herbs and bleach, and as Sakura neared the borders of the stream-the surface broke open and a face appeared.

Sakura screamed, falling on her back as she scrambled to her feet. More and more bodies appeared, floating as she swallowed and peered at them. She took out some latex gloves and a test tube, crouching down as she put some of the murky liquid inside the container. A flash of red and black appeared under the water, and Sakura rubbed her eyes as she stood up and spun around-running towards the poison factory.

The building hovered on top of her body like a large statue, and as Sakura saw the faint silhouette of Baki and Chiyo, she had no choice but to use an incredibly small amount of the demon's chakra and run towards their direction. They didn't see her until she appeared in front of them, panting as she held out the container.

"Where does Suna's water supply come from?" Sakura demanded, her chest rising and falling. Chiyo gave her a questioning stare, and she and Baki exchanged worried glances. "The stream" she finally said, and Sakura cursed under her breath, franticlly running a hand through her hair. Of course, that was why the victims had no bruises or cuts. "Who collects the water?" Sakura demanded.

"Yoki Jin, I think his in the lab-" before Chiyo could countinue, Sakura dashed past her with incredible speed. She had to get to this Yoki, who had the source of information she needed. Her heart hammered agaisnt her chest, ringing in her ears as she chewed her bottom lip. She slammed every single lab door open, trying to find this person since every single person in the building had a name tag to them.

Chiyo's lab, she thought, before Sakura ran up the flight of stairs with energy that could beat Naruto's. She was close now, the lab was right at the end of the corridor. She flung open the wooden door, revealing a man with vibrant purple hair. He stared at her, his eyes wide with fear before he slashed the knife across his throat.

Sakura screamed, trembling violently. And in that moment, a bright orange mask appeared before vanishing.

* * *

"The stream is covered completely with poison. Baki, get every single ninja and stop anybody from drinking the water!" Sakura shouted, the ninjas nodding as they headed out. Just several minutes ago, Yoki had commited suicide. She sat on the chair, grabbing fistfuls of her hair as she sighed wearily and pinched the bridge of her nose. Chiyo and her group of medic nins were at the stream, studying the analysis before they sended out reports every two hours.

The Sand siblings (excluding Gaara) were forming a group with Baki and were hurriedly out in the streets, stopping every water connection there was in the village. Sakura, Gaara and the council were all in the vast meeting hall-all looking incredibly stressed out.

"Who would do such a thing?" Sakura whispered, looking shaken. Gaara and the council didn't respond, instead they shared a moment of silence before Sakura stood up abruptly. "Request for private research for the crisis, council head?" Sakura asked. The council gave her a look, some faces mixed with shock and some weary. The council head stared long and hard at Sakura, sighing.

"Permission declined" he said curtly. Sakura was enraged, she slammed her fist agaisnt the table-her Hokage hat gently bouncing. Several people of the council stood up, looking cold and hard as they laced their fingers at their robes. "This is Suna's buisness, Hokage-sama. You should not be stressing out with our problems" the council head said, his tone more gentle and stable. Sakura glared at him, placing her Hokage hat down on the table.

"We are allies, council head-whether you like it or not. I'm not speaking for my behalf, but for my village's behalf so you could at least trust me and Tsunade-sama that we can handle this situation. Why you ask? Because we are allies, believe it or not" Sakura said, her stance proud. Gaara held his breath, admiration for Sakura great determination and spirit-his eyes darting back and forth between the council head and Sakura.

The council head was a mixture of surprise, shock and awe on his face. Nearly all the council members seemed to shrink under her prescence and authority, and they didn't dare speak a word as a silence fell on them. Sakura stared at the council head, before he smirked and stood up, straightening his robes. Gaara watched them with keen interest, anticipating something to happen as he drummed his fingers agaisnt the table.

"Why not our future Kazekage handle this?" the council head said, and everybody's eyes fell on his form. Gaara tensed, not expecting it as he thought of what to say. Sakura stared at him pleadingly, her fingers clutching the Hokage hat with an air of desperation. "Permission for private research in the behalf of Haruno Sakura who is the substitute Hokage..."

Gaara trailed off. The suspense and intensity increased a large amount. "Accepted" he finally concluded, and Sakura smiled triumphantly as she placed the Hokage hat back on her head. The meeting ended, and every single council member exited the room with the knowledge that Sakura indeed was going to sign that peace treaty. Gaara caught her gaze, and she smiled proudly-reminding him of Naruto.

He could feel a surge of pride towards his friend. She was such a character, incredibly strong and wise for her age. Sakura had confidence to stand with her opinion, not frightened by the spotlight and could freely express her point without caring what anybody thought. That was why the council admired her, that was why Chiyo saw potential in her and that was why Tsunade choose her as substitute Hokage.

Nevertheless, Gaara did feel a pang of envy for her. Sakura could stand up and raise her voice, and the council would be at her mercy immediatly. If he did that, they'd mock him when he wasn't looking and speak insults in hushed whispers. Everybody looked up at Sakura with admiration, the Suna ninjas even bowed as a sign of respect when she walked down hallways. She was such a proud figure, her silhouette strong and lean.

But Gaara had seen a side of her nobody saw. The broken, frail Sakura.

Gone was the proud stance and fiery eyes, and in front of him was a weary, tired and hallow Sakura who cried every night because of her teammates. Behind that stone cold facade of passion and fiery, admirable determination was a young girl who was confused with the world, stuck in that line between dreams and reality. She reminded him of his younger self, scared and frightened of the brutal world that caused him so much greif and sorrow.

Yet, when the curtains would open she would wear a mask. Her audience would be captivated with her authority, and everybody would never see that fragile girl beneath those Hokage robes. As the door slowly closed, Gaara could see her face tilt to the side as she whispered something towards his direction.

"Thank you" she mouthed, before the door closed with a soft click.

* * *

Neji finished giving his mission report, noting that the Hokage had aged a few years. She looked pale, her thick hair now several strands showing her strikingly white scalp. Neji felt sympathy for the Hokage. More and more financial crisis had settled down on Konoha, and Tsunade had suffered several politic issues of the village. No wonder she had to send Sakura as a substitute Hokage, Neji thought.

He missed Sakura. He wanted nothing more than to go to Suna and lend her a helping hand. Nei sometimes wondered what she was doing, and always felt a surging pride when people asked where she was and he would reply that she was a substitute Hokage in Suna and a representative for a peace treaty. His clan had taken a great interest of Sakura, even going as far as asking Neji to invite her over the compound over his manor.

"Dismissed. Neji, stay behind" Tsunade declared, waving a hand. Shikamaru and Ino exchanged worried glances, before filing out as the door softly closed with an abrupt click. Neji stood, slightly worried as his eyes stared at the Hokage who shuffled a couple of papers before taking a long sip of her sake. "Sakura has sent me a message regarding the crisis in Suna where there are several deaths. And for that cause, I have a mission for you" Tsunade said.

Neji felt his heart hammer in excitement. He laced his fingers around the edges of his beige shirt and held his breath, praying to Kami that Tsunade could send him on a mission to Suna. Even if it were a scroll retrieval mission, at least he could catch a glimpse of her.

"I'm sending you to a mission to accompany her to the rest of her stay in Suna. You will leave this dawn with Kakashi" Tsunade finished, before waving a hand as she dismissed Neji. He nodded, and Neji spun around as he exited the Hokage's office. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kakashi and in a moment of happiness, he nodded his head.

He was finally going to show Sakura how strong he was.

Strong enough to hold her up.

* * *

Sakura stared at the empty space, before she groaned with frustration and cried out, kicking the chair. She seethed with rage, unsolved questions flashing through her mind about these strange chain of events. She did not know what overcame her to give out some sort of Naruto-speech and possibly maker a fool out of herself, add more stress to her work as the substitute Hokage and deal with Suna's buisness.

And why, oh why did she say private research?

That meant she had to do it. All by herself. Nobody to hold her, nobody to stand by her. She could march up to the council head and beg for forgiveness and mercy, but Sakura had her pride and reputation she was not going to lose now. She would solve the chain of events, and that success would be carried around her where she could at least have the knowledge she solved the whole murder by herself. And she's thirteen to top it off.

"I miss my old life" she muttered under her breath, twisting folds of her shirt. It was true, she longed for her old life in the comfort of her Team 7-but regarding in the situation she was in, Sakura actually enjoyed her new life. She was a representative from Konoha, a substitute Hokage who was going to sign peace treaties with villages. She never grew tired saying it, and always wore a smug smirk on her face.

Sakura busily jotted down notes on her notepad, before gathering her stuff as she slipped her shoes on and headed out of the hotel. The stream had been off limits for anybody except for her, the medic nins and Chiyo. The stream was guarded by three Suna ninjas, heavily draped in protection and white robes. At the sight of her figure, they bowed respectfully before handing her protective garments.

She thanked them, wearing the white robe, latex gloves and thick mask before she put her notepad inside a plastic container. Nobody wanted some sort of virus on their stuff. She crouched low, taking small amounts of the murky water as she stared at it with a challenging stare. Sakura placed the test tube inside a container, taking out her notepad as she jotted down notes and anotations.

"Come here for a second" Sakura shouted, gesturing for the Sand ninja. He nodded, standing beside her as he bowed his head slightly, looking nervous. "I want you to put all these samples in a tray and place them inside Chiyo's lab. Tell her it's from Sakura for research, got it?" she said curtly. The man nodded, taking the tray as he placed a white sheet over it. Sakura took off the lab coat, latex gloves and mask before she chucked them in the bin and nodded to towards the two Sand ninjas.

She could go research about those liquids after Sakura would have a nice, satisfying and peaceful lunch. The past few days had been a blur of staying up all night and skipping lunch due to all the stress. Her training with Chiyo still countinued, but was cut short due to the intense research. She neared to the nearest resturant, which was crowded with normal villagers laughing and having polite conversations. How Sakura envied them, not knowing the true life of a shinobi with a demon within the walls of your body.

From the distant, she saw the familiar red, tousled locks and smiled, approaching the figure. Gaara spun around, meeting her gaze as he gave her a faint smile. "How was the meeting?" Sakura asked, since she had purposely skipped the meeting-a thirteen year old girl couldn't juggle meetings and research at the same time, could she? "Boring. There's no more new updates. Even the council head wants to close the case" Gaara said, adding a shrug.

"All my research gone to terrible waste" Sakura remarked, sighing wearily as she gave Gaara a tired smile. "Want me to treat you to lunch?" Gaara asked politely. Sakura thanked him, sliding into the comfy seat as she puffed her cheeks and ran a finger through loose strands of her pink hair. She secretly hoped that the council head did in fact close the case, then she didn't have to countinue her research-but the noble side of her wanted to avenge the death of the innocent victims, and she found herself torn between two different opinions.

"It's been quite stressful" Gaara said in a dry voice. Sakura could only scoff, sighing as he noticed the bags under her eyes. "I'm so tired. I stay up all night doing work, skip lunch frequently, live in Chiyo's lab-god, I'm talking too much" she said softly, her eyes glazed with threatening tears of self-pity. And Gaara knew she had a reason to pity herself, out of anybody he ever knew he had never met such a driven, passionate person who was determined to finish things and push herself to the limit-apart from Naruto, whoose kindness had touched him an incredible amount that he had changed his whole image.

"I'm going to do some research on the liquid in Chiyo's lab. I'll be grateful for some company" Sakura said, hope in her voice. He could go, he thought, another meeting wouldn't be until later. And besides, it was a great oppurtunity to see what people actually did in labs. But before he could even respond, a shadow stretched over them, interrupting their train of tangled thoughts.

"N-Neji?" Sakura said, eyes wide with clear happiness.

* * *

And now Neji is thrown to the mix! So happy I could scream. I actually finished the chapter, which is pretty incredible. I hope it wasn't too short, please, please review! Reviews are really good motivation for lazy authors like me!


	23. Chapter 23

Sakura's face was a mixture of surprise, shock and happiness. "Neji! You never told me-wait, did Tsunade send you?" Sakura asked, Neji felt rather appreciated that she had been happy at his appearance, and merely nodded his head. But what disturbed him was the red head sitting in front of Sakura, who gave Neji a cold stare as his fingers laced around the edges of his robe. They shared a moment of intense stares, as Sakura's eyes darted back and forth between Neji and Gaara.

"Where are you staying Neji?" Sakura asked, breaking the silence. "The same hotel your at" he replied, feeling Gaara's eyes pierce through his skull. "I'm just going to finish my lunch and we can head out to the lab" she muttered, eating the dangos. Neji slipped on the seat beside Sakura, avoiding Gaara's glare as he tried to compose himself. He was sitting in front a monster, and Sakura was happily eating her food as if she didn't care.

"What's the crisis about anyway?" Neji asked. Sakura sighed, chewing a dango before she drank down her herbal tea. "Dead bodies due to virus and poison in the nearby stream which is Suna's water supply. It's been rather stressful" she said warily. Neji could see the dark circles under her eyes and felt sympathy for Sakura-she was after all the substitute Hokage, meaning she had the same duties to carry out under Tsunade's name.

"Were going to lab for further research. Gaara and you are coming with me" Sakura stated, finishing her food as she wiped her mouth. Neji noted her different attire, and couldn't help but stare at her for a fraction longer before the Gaara cleared his throat and straightened his robes. "Now that your here Neji, you can deal some parts of my work" Sakura said, an evil look in her eyes as she re-strapped the katana behind her back.

They headed to the poison factory as Sakura fondly calls it in a rather awkward silence. Neji felt uneasy around Gaara, and in return the Sand ninja felt apprehansive. Sakura felt the thick tension between them, but ignored it. If Neji was going to judge Gaara for his old self, she was not going to put up with it and if Gaara even lay a finger on Neji-she was going to snap and lecture him.

She understood it was rather awkward between them two, but as the substitute Hokage she couldn't waste time to worry about such a thing. If Neji wasn't going to cooperate with Gaara, Sakura would have no choice but to send him back. "What research is this?" Neji asked, breaking the silence. Sakura paused for a bit, typing the code to Chiyo's lab before the metal doors slid open. It revealed several dead bodies hanging, with the liquid of the streams and various poisons littered around.

"Classifying if the poison in the stream has various chemicals or a virus in it" Sakura said, ignoring the disgusted looks Neji and Gaara gave the dead bodies. She opened the preserved room, taking out two beds of two innocent victims, which were rotting slowly-the poison slowly melting their flesh. Sakura to several pictures of it, taking the liquid she had taken from the stream several minutes ago as she sighed.

"Neji and Gaara. Go inside the staff room and put on a pair of latex gloves, aprons and masks. Your going to do some work for me" Sakura said, not even taking a look at the them as they scrambled towards the staff room. When she was alone for a breif moment, Sakura looked around before she took a sip of the water. The demon growled viciously, before allowing her bones to absorb it as he studied the water.

...It's the same as Poison 891, that means somebody must have taken it from the lab...

Sakura held her breath, coughing violently as the poison dripped from her mouth. She rinsed her hands, putting on some latex gloves as Gaara and Neji appeared. The particals of the poison are identical to Poison 891, she thought with wide eyes. Of course, why didn't she see this before? Sakura cursed for her stupidity and reached for her notebook. "Gaara, take pictures of those dead bodies. Neji, take notes" Sakura barked, pouring the liquid inside the test tube as she placed it inside a container.

She had to find Chiyo. Sakura knew that Chiyo would be the only one to find a cure, if they didn't the crops would dry out in Suna sooner or later and the villagers would have their suspicions. Even though they couldn't find the culprit, at least they found what was harming them. Besides, since the poison in the stream was the same as Poison 891, Chiyo had to have an antidote for it, right? Sakura slipped the test tube inside her pocket, drumming her fingers agaisnt the table.

"Where is Chiyo?" Sakura asked. Gaara paused for a second, before slowly shaking his head as he shrugged his shoulders. Sakura cursed and she spun around, slamming the doors open as she raced down the corridor. She could hear Gaara and Neji shout her name, but she ignored it-Sakura had a bad feeling what happened to Yoki would happen to Chiyo. And she was not going to lose her sensei, not in the middle of a crisis she couldn't understand.

Sakura reached the reception, pushing past the line as she ignored the annoyed yells. "Where is Chiyo?" she asked breathlessly towards the receptionist. The lady squirmed, flipping through her pages before she paused. "In the greenhouse right at the roof of the main building" she said. Sakura thanked her, before running up the flight of stairs as she cursed her tired muscles. She was close now, Sakura could see the door opening for the roof-which had a small gap, revealing a small stream of light.

She opened the door with a bang, panted heavily as she looked around. The greenhouse was right at the end, and Sakura saw a shadow as she ran with impressive speed-clutching the test tube. "Chiyo!" she shouted, but the shadow didn't turn around. Instead, everything grew dark-red flames erupted around Sakura as she spun around, hair flying around her like a pair of wings. Sakura was trapped in a genjutsu, a powerful one which caused the demon to scream violently within her.

"Chiyo!" Sakura cried, fear spreading through her chest. Instead, a large shadow of a man appeared in front of her-his orange mask illuminated by the flames with his crimson eyes blazing. Sakura held her breath, bottom lip quivering as she clutched the test tube to her chest and sneered at the man. "Who are you! What do you want!" Sakura shouted, her back slamming agaisnt a wall. She closed her eyes, clenching her jaw as the man slowly dragged a small knife across her throat.

"Sakura" he whispered. Sakura's eyes flared open, and she stared at the man. He seemed to radiate an unholy glow around him, and his blood red eyes held a crazed look in them. Never in her life had she felt so frightened and scared, but the demon thrashed wildly within her-sending her overload as she released an inhuman growl and her eyes turned a sapphire blue. Needless to say, the man was startled as he took a step back-overwhelmed by the power and chakra that seemed to surrond the girl.

Suddenly, he teleported himself in a whirl of wind before the genjutsu was broken by her. Chiyo collapsed on her knees, panting as Sakura released a wail. Neji and Gaara broke open the door, panting as they raced towards Sakura and Chiyo's direction. Neji's eyes scanned for any bruises on Sakura, but was relieved to see no marks on her skin. But her eyes was what scared him and Gaara the most, eyes that held fear and fright. She shook violently, tears streaming down her face as she fell on on Gaara and Neji's arms.

"I'm so scared" she whispered, her shoulders shaking. Chiyo stood on her feet, looking grim and sullen as she coughed violently. "Chiyo-sama...I discovered what the p-poison is..." Sakura said in a raspy voice, pulling away from Gaara and Neji. But before anybody could utter another word, Sakura was consumed by exhaustion and slowly fell backwards with a soft thud-her eyes closing gently as everything vanished.

And in her mind, she saw a pair of two scarlet eyes.

* * *

"...we just came to the scene, and they looked exhausted-and Sakura..."

Voices. A blur of white. It came slamming to her senses as her eyes flared open and Sakura sat up, staring at Neji and Gaara who were busy talking to the head medic. Gaara meet her gaze and held his breath, imediatly coming to her side. But Sakura gently pushed him away, grabbing the blanket as she put it around her arms and ran towards Chiyo's form in the other side of the room.

Chiyo was awake, smiling as she saw Sakura. Her hands were trembling, looking for the test tube as she took it out and staggered towards Chiyo's direction. "I've found it...I know how to stop the virus" Sakura whispered in a hoarse voice, her dry, chapped lips trembling. Chiyo's eyes widened, her eyes brimmed with proud tears as she patted Sakura's head. She was so proud of Sakura now, her own student discovering a cure for the virus. Thirteen, and when Chiyo was at that age she was busy brushing her hair.

How children grew these days.

"The virus in the stream is the same as..." Sakura stopped, coughing as she clutched her chest, weary and tired. "It's the same as Poison 891, meaning the antidote can cure..." Sakura parted her lips as she released a pained wail. Neji and Gaara arrived at the scene, holding her in their hands as they stared at her with worried frowns and concerned eyes. Neji held her in his arms, watching as her eyes slowly closed as she fell limp.

Gaara tensed, watching him scoop her up in his arms as Neji carried her to his bed. A feeling of rage and a tinge of jealousy seemed to overwhelm him-what did that person think he was doing? That Hyuuga didn't know Sakura as well as he did-or maybe he did? The thought that Sakura had other people to rely on other than Gaara made a sense of loneliness and fear fill his senses.

"Is she going to be okay?" Chiyo asked the head medic. "She'll be fine. Hokage-sama just needs to have some rest with no disturbance" the medic said, bowing respectfully as he exited the hospital dorm. The door shut with a soft click as Neji and Gaara stared at the fallen form of Sakura with pride. Thirteen, a substitute Hokage and had discovered the virus single handedly, Neji thought with obvious admiration.

Sakura always fascinated him with her intellegence, strength and authority. But the weakest part to her was her emotional mental stability-she always thought of others than herself, going as far to risk her lives for those precious. Her spirit was just as strong as Naruto, Neji thought with a slight, faint smile. But what troubled and disturbed the thoughts of both Gaara and Neji was what truly happened in the roof. By the time they arrived, Chiyo and Sakura looked like they had just seen the spawn of the devil.

"Leave her be. She's been the person whoose work harder to discover the antidote. Sakura deserves her rest" Chiyo said, breaking the silence. Neji had no idea who the old lady was, but since Sakura had gone through the trouble of talking to her-it was obvious the girl had the highest respect for the old lady. He obliged, exiting the room with Gaara trailing behind him. They waited outside of the hospital dorm, staring at the door which had a golden plaque saying 999.

Neji sighed, thinking of the numerous times Sakura had landed in hospital. He shuddered, remembering when he had seen her laying on the hospital bed, looking so pale and so still he was frightened she was dead. Her vivid green eyes would lose all hope and fire, and would be replaced with dull eyes constantly brimmed with tears. Neji could vividly remember her mental breakdowns after Sasuke had left, and curled his fist.

But in a way, Neji actually thanked Sasuke for leaving. If he didn't, Neji could have never known Sakura, never had a friendship with a girl he whole-heartedly admired and respected. But the boy sitting next to him, whoose arms with crossed with an impassive face-Neji knew almost instantly on how Sakura seemed to carefree and happy around him that they were friends. His train of thoughts ended when the door opened, and Sakura stepped out clutching her head as she yawned.

"No time for slacking off. We've got a meeting to attend to, unfortunetly for you Neji-you'll be coming with me" Sakura said in a chirpy voice, eyes twinkling. Gaara sighed warily, pinching the bridge of his nose as he gestured for Sakura to lead the way. "The meeting is something daily, since I'm the substitute Hokage-I can be nosy and read every single financial, criminal and medical reports there are" Sakura countinued, pausing very breifly as she poked her head through the door.

"Your escaping from hospital" Gaara said in a dry voice. Sakura spun around, grinning at him as she shrugged her shoulders. "I'm the substitute Hokage. Nobody would dare defy my orders, since everybody will be trying their best to please me!" she whispered. Sakura darted her eyes, before sneaking inside the staff room as she headed down the short cut. They exited through the back door, where Sakura easily climbed over a brick wall.

Gaara and Neji trailed after her, watching her hospital gown billow around her like a cape. She seemed to notice she was still wearing the thin piece of cloth, and tore it open revealing her usual clothing, complete with all her pouches and a small, white medical bag strapped around her right knee. "Don't want to appear to a meeting wearing a hospital robe, do I?" Sakura said, chuckling softly as they walked down the path.

Her boots crunched the soil beneath her as the tall building hovered on top of their forms. A Suna ninja quickly came by, holding the Hokage robes as Sakura put on the robe and the hat, looking serious and grim. Gone was the chirpy, laughing facade of Haruno Sakura, which was replaced by a serious, wise girl who spoke of wisdom and intellegence beyond her years. The vast meeting hall stunned Neji, for he had never been able to attend a proper meeting.

The council looked pleasently surprised to see Sakura, expecting her to be in hospital but they didn't say anything. Once the meeting began, with Neji standing beside Sakura and Gaara next to the council head-Sakura cleared her throat and stood up. "I've found the antidote for the virus" she said, and excitement rippled through the crowd as they gave Sakura awe-struck stares. "The poison in the stream is the same to Poison 891, a creation of Chiyo with an antidote" Sakura countinued, hoping her voice concealed her excitement "The solution will be able to drain the stream and placed the antidote in dry land where the stream is" as she ended, an angry murmur of the crowd began to rise.

"But what will happen to our water supply?" one of the council cried, enraged as he stood up. Sakura shot him a glare as she muttered a soft thank you towards the council head, who waved a hand as he gestured for Sakura to countinue. "That's when I'll step in" Sakura said, smirking at the disbelief faces of the council. The council head released a laugh, clapping his hands as he nodded. "Surprise us, Haruno-san. As long as you have found the cure, we shall be in your debt and allow you to do anything you wish" he said, smiling as the edges of his eyes turned to wrinkles.

Sakura smirked triumphantly. After drying out the stream, placing the poison-it was time for Jubi to do his share of the work. She could practiclly hear the Jubi snicker in delight, and hoped she was strong enough to control him. Besides, Yomi had promised her that if she ever did lose control-he'd always be there to calm her down. The thought made her confident as she stepped out of the meeting room, an awe-struck Neji trailing behind her.

"That was most impressive, Sakura" he said. Sakura laughed, shrugging her shoulders as she took off her Hokage robes and handed it back to the safe care of the Suna ninja. It had been easier than expected, of course with the help of the council head. All those hours of working with the man had earned her his trust, and Sakura had grown to be fond of the council head who reminded her of Sarutobi.

"I'll treat you to lunch for enduring such a boring meeting. And after that, you can help me with draining the stream" Sakura said, smiling. Neji nodded wordlessly, but felt rather spoilt on being treated to lunch by a substitute Hokage. It should be the other way round, he thought, but Neji didn't dare ruin her mood. He couldn't help but be happy that Gaara wasn't around-whom Neji had taken a great disliking to.

Besides, Gaara had also shared the feeling and they settled down for unspoken agreement that they would countinue their false politeness towards eachother for the sake of Sakura. They paused in front of a cosy, half-empty cafe as they slid inside the leather booths at the far corner. Sakura ordered some dangos and steak with green tea for two, eyeing Neji for approval as he silently nodded.

"You better eat well. We've got some work to do afterwards" Sakura remarked, slicing the steak as she ate it. Neji took a sip of his herbal tea, slicing the steak as he savoured the delicious food before taking a bite off his dango. He was exhausted from the journey, and had to admit it had been a rather long day. A good lunch would at least give him some energy, but Neji instantly felt guilty. He shouldn't be complaining, it should be Sakura. She had discovered the cure, passed out, gone to a meeting and after this short lunch would be working again.

He felt sympathy for Sakura, but couldn't help but feel pride burning through his flesh. No wonder his own clan had taken a great keen interest to Sakura after it was announced she was in Suna being the substitute Hokage. It made people view her extremely worthy of the title, worthy enough to be even invited to the elusive gala at the Hyuuga compound after her two month stay finished.

"What are you going to do after you leave Suna?" Neji asked. Sakura paused, chewing thoughtfully as she swallowed. "I'm only going to stay for three days in Konoha, were I'll persuade Tsunade to let me countinue to become substitute Hokage and visit the Mizukage, Raikage and Tsuchikage which will hopefully lead to an alliance" Sakura casually replied. Neji held his breath, taking a moment to digest this information.

He felt so much pride for his friend. But then he realized he wouldn't be able to see her again, and that sadness seemed to struck him down to his core. Sakura, upon noticing the rather sorrowful look in his eyes smiled at Neji. "And I'm dragging you along" she said, chuckling. Neji met her gaze and smirked, slicing through the steak as he nodded his head. Besides, Sakura did need a person who could keep her calm. All this travelling was obviously going to involve a lot of dramatic breakdowns from her-since Tsunade had been rubbing into her lately.

Neji watched in despair as Sakura paid for their lunches, ignoring the surprised look the waitress shot him before she thanked Sakura and walked away. "Come, no time to waste. Gaara will probably be there" she said cheerfully. At the mention of his name, Neji stiffly nodded as he stepped out, feeling a breeze come by as the sand swirled around his ankles. He had never been to Suna before, and hated every second of it. The buildings were grotesque, in a twisted shape that looked awful and whenever a breeze came past, a mini sandstorm would pick up. But Sakura didn't seem to mind, and Neji wasn't the type of person to complain-Naruto and Sakura made him humble.

"There's the stream" Sakura said with a faint wrinkle of her nose. Neji watched as a dead body surfaced from the water and clenched his jaw, ignoring the disgusting scent as he proceeded to put on a pair of latex gloves, a mask and an apron. Gaara stood by, wearing the same garments as he waved awkwardly towards their direction. Sakura was the only one not wearing protection, taking out the antidote for Poison 891 as she barked orders.

The ninjas and the medic nins did not question her orders or her motives and began to drain the stream. As the water completely vanished, dead bodies started to appear as Sakura told everybody to collect the dead bodies and place them aside. Sakura shot Neji a stare, as he scowled underneath his mask and cautiosly headed down inside the empty stream. Even Gaara seemed powerless agaisnt the strong will of Sakura, who grinned at their dis-pleased faces.

As the dead bodies were tossed aside into a large pile, Sakura arrived at the middle of the stream, pouring the antidote in the middle before she closed her eyes. Jubi was laughing now, excited to finally use his chakra as her eyes slowly opened-revealing a startling sapphire blue. Gaara held his breath, entranced by the colour as he peered closely at Sakura. She summoned a small bit of Jubi's chakra with the constant reassurance of Yomi.

Suddenly, the ground broke open and water came squirting out, filling her senses. The ninjas and the medic nins took a step back, amazed by the display as some even yelled in encouragement. Sakura was still in the middle, standing as if she didn't even notice the water was there before her eyes turned back normal and she swam up. Sakura broke the surface, her hair sticking to her skull as she grinned.

The council were standing aside, clapping as their robes billowed around them like capes. Sakura swam to the edge, feeling Neji grab her shoulders as he pulled her up. All around her, Sakura felt a countinues cheer as she grinned at the crowd. Gaara landed a towel around her shoulders, a soft scowl on his face as she laughed and wiped her face. "The water supply is safe now, the harvest can countinue and everybody can have water" Sakura said. Indeed, the stream looked better than before. A sparkling blue, the river looked like it was made of sapphires and diamonds. Plus it had grown larger, large enough to fit a hundred people inside or more.

Needless to say, everybody respected Sakura more and more-and she could feel her cheeks flush a deep, scarlet red whenever people would praise her. At least this would make Konoha and Tsunade look good, she thought as her and Neji headed back to the hotel. She felt a burning pride for herself flicker in the midst of her stomach, and even Yomi seemed happy with her accomplishments.

"That was amazing, Sakura-how did you manage to get the water?" Neji asked with great curiosity. She squirmed, uncomfortable as she tried to explain. Sure, she and Neji were close but Sakura was not ready to tell him her secrets-especially since the Jubi was ready to tear her insides. "It's just a water style jutsu, it's nothing really" Sakura said, laughing nervously. Neji, upon sensing her discomfort, nodded his head as they entered the hotel.

His room was right next to Sakura's, earning him quick access to her needs. By the time they reached her room, Neji could see it scattered with paperwork and Sakura could only smile sheepishly, rubbing the nape of her neck. She was still soaking wet, and badly needed a shower before changing into some of her own extra clothes. "Goodnight Neji, I'll see you tomorrow!" she said, before slowly closing the door.

Once inside, Sakura entered the bathroom, stripping off her clothes gently as she placed it aside. She removed her concealment jutsu, and her Yin seal glittered as she stepped inside the bathtub. The feel of the hot water rushing in made her muscles relax as she leaned agaisnt the bathtub, grateful for some rest as she closed her eyes. Chiyo better give me a break tomorrow, Sakura thought as the water gently splashed around her.

Unknown to her, a pair of crimson eyes appeared from the ceiling before they vanished.

* * *

Gaara stared at the empty space around him, before exhaling as he concentrated with his sand. His training to be the future Kazekage had quickly commenced once the whole crisis was over, and his harsh training always started at four am in the morning. Baki was a hard man, even Shukaku respected the bulky man for his guidance. Inspired by yesterday's events, Gaara had realized how strong Sakura could be and wanted her to see him as an equal. Even the Shukaku was impressed by her display, and seemed to shrink agaisnt her commanding form.

"Control Gaara, that is the most valuable aspect" Baki said, his voice breaking through. Gaara gave a stiff nod, concentrating as he extracted a small amount of chakra from the Shukaku and used it for the sand. Slowly, grains of sand swirled around his form, and Gaara couldn't help but smirk triumphantly. Control was the hardest aspects of his training, and Gaara was easily frightened that he'd lose control completely and let the Shukaku enter his mind, heart and body.

But Baki was strict, always restraining Gaara for doing any bodily harm unless he was supposed to. And besides, letting the Shukaku tear that bit of humanity within him that he had worked so desperately to build was like losing a part of himself. Besides, he couldn't bear to transform into monster mode for Sakura's sake. "Good Gaara, now slowly try to turn the chakra off..." Baki's voice came in, and he nodded as he felt the Shukaku's chakra vanish.

He met Baki's satisfied face as he nodded, clearly impressed by the stability of his student. Baki was rather taken aback by his new determination, and had knew instantly that it was because of Haruno's actions. The girl had impressed him, Baki could almost feel her stable, strong and perfect chakra control. He had been wrong to question her bold motives during the meeting, and knew why the council head seemed to take a liking for the girl.

Besides, she was a thirteen year old substitute Hokage. It just showed how good she was and how the real Hokage seemed to trust her. Gaara took a sip of his water, sighing as he ran a finger through his tangled locks. "That was good, Gaara. Thirty minute break, go get something to eat" Baki said, dismissing him as Gaara nodded. He had been training for hours now, and starvation had gotten the better of him.

The training grounds had a canteen, full of yawning and sleepy ninjas ready to start the day. From the corner of his eye, Gaara saw a flash of pink and stopped abruptly. Sakura was sitting at the furthest table, head down as she ate her food. She would have blended in perfectly, but her pink hair and red gear was noticable anywhere. He collected some dangos, before approaching her and noticing Neji was sitting down in front of her.

"Gaara! What brings you here?" Sakura asked, looking up from the pile of textbooks. "Training" he replied, taking a seat next to Sakura as he peered closely at her textbook. "Is Chiyo not giving you a break after yesterday?" Gaara asked, lifting a brow. "She is. I just need to do some independent study" she replied. Neji recalled that Sakura told him Chiyo was her sensei for her two month training, and had spoken so highly of her, her voice full of admiration that Neji had respected the old lady as well.

He would be with Sakura with her usual training with Chiyo, and was quite excited as he twisted knots of his shirt. Not even Gaara could ruin his mood, who seemed to eye him distaste. There was an unsettling silence which Sakura purposely ignored as she wrote down notes furiosly with passionate intent. Neji and Gaara were fascinated by her awe in poisons, and countinued to watch her as she worked.

"Let's go Neji. I'll see you later, Gaara" Sakura said, stretching her muscles as she flashed Gaara a smile before Neji collected her textbooks. Sakura scowled at him, turned around and gave Gaara one last wave before they vanished through the crowd. He was rather bitterly dissappointed on not spending a time with her, and Gaara realized that his training with Baki had started. It took him a minute to realize that Neji was giving him a smug smirk, and Gaara shot him a glare before he finished with his food.

* * *

His crimson eyes watched his delight, drumming his fingers agaisnt the wooden surface before he pushed himself up from the chair and smirked underneath his orange mask. He had underestimated Sakura, solving the cure all by herself and even doing some sort of jutsu that he didn't know of. The cherry blossom has blossomed, he thought with a smirk as he poured red liquid into a glass.

The ravens flickered past outside, parting their beaks as they released an ugly screech. He stared at them for a moment, growing closer and closer to the window as he placed a hand over the smooth glass. Outside was a field of dying cherry blossoms, their petals wilted and crumpled, edges torn and bitten. But every cherry blossom dies, he thought again as a cool breeze came whistling inside.

He was growing impatient. Obito wanted nothing more than to make a grand entrance and declare his identity and tell the story of Sakura's clouded, hidden past but restrained himself. He couldn't do it unless her memories re-surfaced, then it wouldn't be so risky. Obito took a sip of the sweet red liquid, gently tilting the golden cup side by side as the water splashed on the floor. As a sign of mockery, he took out a cherry blossom twig full of petals and cut his finger, dabbing his blood on the petals.

Only, it wouldn't be his blood on the floor.

But hers.

* * *

Chiyo's lab was completely free of dead bodies, much to Neji's utter relief and delight. He wondered how Sakura could stand being around them, and shuddered to think what she actually did to them. The minute Neji stepped inside however, Sakura lectured him about the health and safety issues, saying the words as if they were a chant with a serious expression. "After you are finished, latex gloves, aprons and masks are binned" she concluded, exhaling a sharp breath before she tied her hair in a ponytail.

It was then he realized how long her hair was, and loose strands of it fell down her neck and curled at the bottom. She cursed, parting her lips as she released a frustrated wail before Neji brushed her hair gently, tying it up in a high ponytail. "Thank you!" Sakura said, spinning around as she beamed at him-her thick hair in a tight ponytail. Neji nodded, tying his own hair before he slipped on a pair of latex gloves.

"Today, we'll be taking organs out of both male and female bodies. Neji, you can help as well" Chiyo said gravely, taking out some dead bodies as she placed them on the beds. Neji shuddered, wrinkling his nose in disgust and fright at the sight. But he soon stiffened at the sight of Sakura, who held a serious expression on her face as she took a knife and glanced at Neji. "You can help me with the female body first" she said, before slicing open the stomach with one stroke.

Dark, black blood spilled out before Sakura calmly took some of the liquid inside the container. Neji felt his insides churn and violently trembled, and Sakura shot him a worried look before she led him back inside the staff room. The scene had been grotesque, horrid and gruesome-too much for the Hyuuga to digest. Sakura gently patted his back, her mask long gone as a soft look settled down on her face. Instantly, Neji felt enraged for himself for showing such weakness and stood up.

"I'm fine" he muttered, pulling the mask over his face before he stepped out of the safety of the staff room. Sakura scowled at his stubborn attitude, before trailing behind him with her mask covering half of her face before she presumed with her actions. The stomach was still open, and Neji forced himself to stare at it as he clenched his fists and began taking out the nearest organs. Neji placed his hands inside, his gaze planted on Sakura as she nodded, smiling with satisfaction as he pulled out an appendix.

It felt warm and limp in his hands, and Neji refused to look as it as blood dripped down his apron. Sakura took the appendix, sheilding it with her hands before putting it in a jar and placing it inside a cabinet. "That was good, really good" she said, her voice soft as Chiyo returned from the preserved area. "Sakura, I trust you shall do independent study. I have a meeting to attend to" Chiyo said curtly, before vanishing through the doorway.

Sakura looked on with a worried frown, lines appearing on her forehead as she straightened her back. "What meeting..." she trailed off, sighing before snapping her focus back on the bodies. Neji watched as her concerned face vanished, before she cleared her throat and slit the throat open. Neji looked away sharply, clenching his jaw as Sakura gently took his hands and slowly, his fingers brushed agaisnt the opened throat.

He thrusted his hand right down the throat, looking away before his hand pulled away-revealing a thyroid gland. He gave it to Sakura, his fingers slightly shaking as she took it and placed it inside a glass jar. His latex gloves were soaked in black blood now, splatters of it across his apron as Neji shuddered. Sakura was also soaked in blood, but she seemed to take no notice when she began to work again.

"I won't let you do this one" she said, her voice stable and confident. Neji was confused, before Sakura closed her eyes and slashed the knife across the eyes of the male. Neji spun around, not able to bare any more of it as he heard a sickening crack and shuddered. The session was over, and he turned around again to reveal a blood soaked Sakura-splatters of red liquid across her face like beads of sweat.

She caught his gaze and smiled softly, and Neji saw two pairs of yellow eyes inside a jar. He held his breath as Sakura hastly placed it away, laughing nervously at the sight of her blood soaked apron as they made their way back to the staff room in silence. There, Sakura was furiosly scrubbing the blood off her face even though there was no more-the piece of cloth soaked with blood. Neji watched her, worried as he grabbed the towel from her hands and she stopped.

"Stop it" he whispered gently, a soft look in his eye. Suddenly, she broke as tears streamed down her face. "I hate the sight of blood...it reminds me to much of..." her voice croaked like a broken machine player and she stopped, drawing in deep breaths as memories of the Valley of the End returned back. Neji gripped her shoulders, breaking the illusion as she stared in his while eyes and smiled.

"Thank you" she murmured, taking the cloth from his hands as she placed it in the bin. She sighed warily, sitting down on the chair as she ran a hand through loose strands of her hair and sighed again. "I need some sleep" she muttered, and Neji gravely nodded as she laughed at him. Her tears were dry now, nothing more than patches of liquid on her face as she stood up and stretched her muscles, yawning.

Neji watched as she opened her blue locker and took out her katana, in which she slung over her body before collecting her textbooks and holding them tight to her chest. She caught his stare, and under the orange glow she shimmered as if she was made of gold. Neji watched, entranced before her lips moved and she broke the spell.

"Treat me to lunch" she said, hope in her voice.

He rolled his eyes and nodded.

* * *

Finished! It is amazing that I physically had the energy to finish this chapter. Hope it wasn't too confusing and I promise there will be more Obito appearances!


	24. Chapter 24

Gaara wiped the bead of sweat forming on his brow, gritting his teeth before he charged. Close combat was never his sort of thing, because Gaara found himself sheltered by his sand constantly. Baki had encouraged him to stop using the sand sheild wall, and Gaara had obliged hesitantly. The sand was like another part of him, connecting into loop holes in his heart that mended it. It sheltered him from danger, just like a mother's arms.

"Concentrate!" Baki shouted across the training fields. Today, Gaara had been given the privelidge to fight with Kankarou's puppets, in which he had already smashed with his fists easily (unfortunetly for Kankarou) his older brother watched with despair as Gaara's fist blew through the last puppet, and as the sun's rays pierced through his skin-Gaara took off his red cape revealing a fishnet shirt as he panted lightly.

Kankarou whined at the mess, picking scraps of wood as he shot Gaara a glare. In return, his younger brother smirked at him before heading towards Baki's direction. "That was extremely good, just practise on using your feet as well. One must not rely on their hands all the time-especially because of the high risk of them being cut off" Baki said in a grave voice. Gaara nodded, digesting his advice as he sighed.

Fighting without the sand had proved to be difficult. With it, not even a small cut would land on his face-but without it, Gaara felt exposed. But he countinued on, through gritted teeth when he remembered Sakura's rare show of fighting. She was graceful, arching her back easily without a flinch and managing to go through a battle without a single mark on her, or even a slight chakra drain.

"I'll be teaching you on how to fight with weapons. Such as katanas, and for this you have the pleasure of-" Baki was cut off when the door banged open, and Gaara slightly jerked on his seat as a blast of cool, refreshing wind dabbed on his skin. Soft footsteps entered, and a shadow stretched agaisnt the training grounds as he spun around.

"I'm not late, am I?" Sakura asked, lightly panting with Neji leaning agaisnt the doorway, surveying his surrondings. Baki shook his head while Gaara looked on, rather confused with a katana in his hands. The truth dawned to him, and Sakura faced him with a smirk gracing in her lips as the smirk quickly turned into a grin. "Baki-san requested me to fight with you Gaara" she said in a dry, amused voice as Baki had the faintest of a smile blossoming.

Gaara shot Baki a look. No matter how many times anybody could persuade him, Gaara couldn't hurt her-that is, if he could hurt her. Sakura was strong, and not only he knew that but Tsunade, the council, Chiyo and probably her entire village because if she wasn't-well, Tsunade wasn't going to take it very well if she was in fact an incredibly weak substitute Hokage. A substitute Hokage must be in the near Kage level, the council head's words echoed through his mind, and Sakura-san is indeed very powerful-that's why I find it terribly amusing when the council seems to underestimate her power because she's a girl and barely 18.

His train of thoughts vanished when Sakura unseathed her katana, a shiny, glorious blade as she held it in the air. "First of all, we must determine the position" she said confidently, holding the sword with two hands with her feet in parallel. Gaara copied her movements-but Sakura scoffed as she gripped his shoulders and pushed his posture upwards. "Posture is as important as skill. If you don't straighten your back, your muscles will ache and an unflexible ninja is not a good ninja" she said, scowling with a hint of playfulness in her voice.

On the sidelines, Baki and Neji watched with delight Gaara being scolded at by the harsh Sakura. She was even worse than Chiyo and Tsunade, Neji thought dryly. Tsunade taught her to punch through mountains and Chiyo had taught her to slice human bodies open. The mere thought made Neji shudder as his keen eyes peered closely, watching as Sakura showed Gaara another technique.

He drummed his fingers agaisnt the wooden chair, nails grazing across the surface as Neji's white eyes darted. It had been a while since he had seen Sakura fight, and could not wait to watch Gaara beaten by his comrade. He crossed his arms, and after Gaara had learnt the basic within twenty five minutes, Baki declared a small fight between them. He smirked when Sakura grinned at him, before charging as she managed to land a small scar on Gaara's rib cage.

But Gaara was good at dodging, not so much with hitting. But he managed to land a scar on her left cheek, and blood dripped out slowly as Gaara and Neji held their breaths. "It's okay. Countinue" Sakura muttered softly, smiling at Gaara as she charged again. Swords clashed together, before they parted ways as a blur of red and pink collided. Neji watched, obviously fascinated as she managed to do a painful arch and miss Gaara's blow on her thigh.

Baki stopped the fight, murmuring his approval. Sakura panted lightly, chest heaving up and down as she gave Neji and Gaara a smile. It was then that Neji had realized she was holding back and let herself be hit. Normally, she would be more faster, more ruthless with a blank expression on her face. But obviously since it was Gaara's first time, she had gone easy on him. And for that, Neji shot Gaara a smug smirk in which the Sand ninja gave him a cold glare.

"That was good for a begineer, Gaara. Let's take a break!" Sakura shouted. It seemed like she had completely taken control, as Baki lifted a brow and shook his head. Sakura tossed Gaara water bottle, in which he easily catched as he broke open the cap and hungrily drank the icy liquid. "Neji, do you want to take part?" Sakura asked, but immediatly regretted it. Neji had a clear disliking for Gaara, who had injured Lee-his teammate-to the point where the poor Konoha ninja was forced to retire from his ninja days completely.

Neji felt his heart twist at the memory. Maybe this time he could somehow avenge Lee? He had been practising the katana and liked to think he could do better than Gaara. "If it's all right-" Sakura was cut off when Neji nodded, his silver eyes staring at Gaara as Baki tossed him a spare katana. Neji caught it, waiting impatiently as Gaara finished his drink before wiping his mouth with a sleeve.

Sakura looked on, worried with a frown on her face as Baki stood next to her, obviously keen what Gaara was like when he fought agaisnt a Hyuuga. She gently twisted folds of her jumpsuit, her black katana on her lap as she watched. Neji was the first one to lunge, holding a katana with it's blade shining in all it's ruthless glory-obviously wanting to land a blow on the side of Gaara. But he dodged, staring at Neji with an impassive face as he clenched his fist.

They shared an unspoken agreement not to hurt one another too much-for the sake of Sakura, who would instantly hate them when they hurt eachother. Sakura looked on, biting her bottom lip as Baki stared at their blurry figures, surprised by their speed. Gaara had never shown such a passionate determination in their training-sure, he was dedicated but not in the way that his dedication seem to dance in his eyes.

She watched on, wincing every time they managed to land a blow on eachother before she shot Baki a pleading look. It had only be a good thirty minutes but even Baki could agree that the fight was becoming more savage, so he stepped in and ended the fight with a draw. Sakura sighed with relief, smiling at Neji and Gaara as she stood up and stretched her muscles. Her stomach growled, and her hands dropped to her sides as she clutched her stomach and sheepishly smiled.

"Who wants to treat me to lunch?" she said in a sing-song voice. Gaara and Neji gave her blank stares, and she scowled before picking up her katana and fishing out her wallet from her pouch. She sighed misreably, the thought of spending her own money seemed terrifying to her as they made their way to the canteen. But the boys walking on either side of her seemed aloof, a distant look in their eyes as her eyes darted back and forth between thier forms.

Sakura sighed, stepping inside the canteen as she headed into the line. It seems like the crowd descended into a hush as they all bowed respectfully in unison, leaving her flustered as Sakura ducked her head and lined up to get her lunch. Gaara and Neji noticed her discomfort from all the attention and they glared at the crowd, who quickly looked away but couldn't help but give Sakura adoring glances.

It seemed like ever since her success on finding the cure and bringing the stream alive, Sakura had been given attention. She was respected as a figure now, not as a child but as a form of authority and wisdom beyond her years. Nobody could ignore the looks people gave her when she passed by. Sakura collected her meal, and headed to the table right at the darkest corner as she slid on the booth and sighed, puffing her cheeks.

"I hate attention" she drawled out, violently stabbing a steak as she chewed it. Neji snorted, sipping his green tea as he could feel beads of sweat trickle down his spine-plastering the shirt to his body. The fight had left him slightly exhausted, but was interrupted by Baki, much to both of their displeasure. Gaara sliced through a thick, meaty beef before he ate it and sighed, sweat plastering his clothes to his body.

His hair was slightly damp from the hot weather and the exhaustion, sighing wistfully at the feel of cold liquid satisfying his warm throat. His eyes glanced at Sakura, who was trying her best to ignore the looks various people gave her. "Do we have a meeting?" she asked, slicing through the steak as she idly swung her legs mid air. Gaara shook his head, grateful that at least for one day the council would go easy on them. But Sakura was restless, thinking about how Chiyo had ditched her for some sort of 'meeting'.

She seemed to frown, chewing her bottom lip as she sighed warily. Sakura hated being nosy, but Tsunade had told her that it was her buisness to know what type of village Suna was so she won't get any nasty surprises. Gaara could possibly know, since his not in the meeting-but maybe his hiding something? She searched his face for any trace of suspicion, but couldn't bring herself to accuse a boy she had become great friends with.

"Do you and Hyuuga-san want to go for dinner tonight at my house?" Gaara asked. Sakura gave him a teary look and nodded her head, but shot Neji a look as he slowly nodded his head. He would be rather uncomfortable, but Neji was up for it if it meant seeing Sakura not stressed out and enjoying herself. Besides, Neji really wasn't looking forward staying up all night in Sakura's hotel room sorting out agonizing paperwork the real Hokage should be doing.

"Is Temari and Kankarou going to be there?" she asked. Gaara nodded his head, beads of sweat flicking with his mass of thick locks as he brushed his hair impatiently with his fingers. Sakura sighed, finishing her meal as she dropped the knife on the plate and allowed the waitress to collect their empty plates. A balmy, cool breeze came through the windows, the thin curtains gently curling at the edges before Neji watched underneath his lashes Sakura shudder ever so slightly.

For her, there was something wrong. Everything felt too perfect. She chewed her bottom lip and her eyes darted nervously between Gaara and Neji, who seemed oddly relaxed before she shrugged the worry off. Maybe she was just being paranoid, since the paperwork and the training sessions had been a bit too much for her. "Let's go Neji, were going back to the lab" Sakura declared as she stood up abruptly.

She waved goodbye towards Gaara, flashing him a smile before she tugged on Neji's shirt and gestured for the exit. Neji tilted his head to the side, nodding towards Gaara who nodded back. She twisted the golden door knob of the exit, and a blast of chilly air swept in as sand gently swirled around her ankles. Sakura clenched her jaw, stepping out as she looked at Neji before sighing.

Unknown to her, a crow flew past. It's shiny beak parting before it released a shrill, ugly screech.

* * *

Chiyo wiped a brow, her wrinkly hands grasping the staff room door before she opened it and stepped inside. She sat down on the bench, sighing as she picked strands of her silver hair and gently puffed her cheeks. The meeting had shocked her, both physically and mentally since sights of a missing-nin had been reported. The council had agreed to let Sakura into the case, but the council head had stubbornly declined-stating that Sakura deserved a break.

She sighed, filling a plastic cup of water before she gulped it down. Chiyo didn't like these chain of unfortunate events happening-the village had lost three Suna ninjas and twelve villagers, Chiyo was not prepared to deal with more funerals and more sadness, greif and shock again. But the thought of allowing Sakura, Gaara and that Hyuuga boy into the scandal was tempting-Sakura was smart, cunning and powerful, Gaara was the next Kazekage and was strong for his age and the Hyuuga was a Hyuuga, eye technique and intelligence all rolled into one.

The next greats, Chiyo thought with a slight chuckle through her chapped lips. The council had agreed that in the end, they would keep this whole ordeal secret. But Chiyo knew that Sakura wasn't dumb, she was a substitute Hokage and a rare prodigy with knowledge lusted for. She sighed again, drumming her fingers agaisnt the wooden table as she idly rocked back and forth on the bench.

"Chiyo-san?" her voice said, quiet and gentle. Chiyo looked to her side, meeting the worried gaze of Sakura with that Neji boy behind her. Chiyo nodded firmly, crumpling the cup in her wrinkly fingers before tossing it to the bin. Sakura peered at her, lines in her forehead increasing at her slouched figure before Chiyo rinsed her hands, put on latex gloves, the apron and the mask and the facade was gone.

Sakura stood for a moment, before dropping her hands to her side as she opened the blue locker and stuffing her textbooks inside. Neji stood patiently waiting wearing gloves, an apron and a mask with his silky hair tied in a loose, low ponytail. She glanced at him as she tossed him the short comb. Neji catched it, before brushing her thick, slightly wavy pastel hued hair into a high pony tail.

"Your tense" he remarked, breaking the silence. Sakura laughed, shrugging her shoulders as her bangs brushed agaisnt her collarbone before she tucked it behind her ear. Neji finished, placing the comb in the counter as she rubbed her neck and stared ahead through heavy-lidded eyelids. "Were not going to be doing anything too...bloody today!" Chiyo cried out from the lab as Neji breathed a sigh of relief.

Sakura blinked, before laughing at Neji's emmbarrased scowl as she shook her head and playfully punched his shoulders. "You okay Neji?" she asked in a light, teasing voice. Neji ignored her and heard her soft giggle, before a slow smile appeared on his face. Chiyo stared at their figures, smiling gently at the sight of the boy's slightly pink tainted cheeks with Sakura laughing behind him. It was hard to imagine that one of them was a substitute Hokage and the other a Hyuuga.

Kids grow up so fast, Chiyo thought wistfully.

"Chiy-san, what are we doing today?" Sakura asked as she glanced at the empty counter. Chiyo smiled, the edges of her eyes turning into lines as she scattered some herbs across the table. "Your going to be mixing herbs with poisons today" she said, enjoying how Sakura's mossy green eyes lit up like polished emeralds. Her hasty, proffesional fingers gathered some herbs as she taught Neji how to crush the herbs.

He nodded, gently crumpling them inside his palms as a green liquid flowed from his fingerstips and into a white, glass bowl. Sakura glanced at him, before nodding her head with satisfaction as she crushed herbs into her hands and rolled it inside the bowl. Chiyo sat on the stool, doing the same as they did the whole ordeal in a calm, peaceful silence with the windows wide open-letting warm, balmy air come dancing inside.

"Chiyo, whats the sudden change of training?" Sakura asked as she crushed the herbs. Her last training sessions (before Neji came) had been ruthless, tiering and kept her awake all night studying with such passionate dedication you could taste it. But it seemed like Chiyo had allowed her to slack off, much to her surprise. Even though she found the cure to virus, Sakura had been expecting the training to countinue vigourously. Instead, she sat in a stool crushing herbs.

Chiyo sighed, dropping her hands. In truth, Chiyo had been working restlessly-meetings were a daily part of her life nowadays, she barely even had time to cram for Sakura's training session. The council had become more alert and stern after the virus had spreaded, and now daily reports were passing and going. Chiyo found the whole thing extremely stressful, especially for such a lady like herself who should be having vacation in the Land of Tea.

The thought of sitting in a mat, sipping tea and not having to worry about a thing was such a beautiful thing for Chiyo. Even now, sitting and crushing herbs in a comfortable silence was the closest she ever got to a proper vacation. "I'm just so tired Sakura-san. I'm meant to be having my vacation" she said in a sour voice. Sakura nodded sagely, rolling the herbs into her palms before placing them inside the bowl.

"Not that I'm complaining though" Sakura said in a teasing manner. Chiyo gave out a dry chuckle, realizing that at the first few days of her training session had been ruthless and merciless. Sakura was indeed the most hard working girl she ever met-waking up at dawn, training, going to the lab, meeting before long nights studying. Chiyo and Tsunade would explode in a second, but the girl was so eerily calm as if she did this daily.

A future leader. A great, a legend a voice whispered at the back of her head.

Chiyo could just picture Sakura wearing a long, cloak billowing around her. Her face more defined, but beautiful and ruthless. Her stance powerful and proud. She was so proud of Sakura, even though she was just a temporary student. Sakura actually looked like a Hokage with her robes, not a girl playing dress-up. "Was I making you work too hard?" Chiyo asked, not looking up as she tore the plants before tossing them inside a bowl.

She laughed, before shaking her head as her pink tresses brushed agaisnt her shoulder. Chiyo saw underneath her heavy eyelids the Hyuuga boy glance at her quickly, surprised by the melodious sound that was released from her lips. She saw the slight awe in his face and smiled-knowing all to well that the boy held fascination and deep pride for her. It wasn't like Chiyo could blame him. For once, she actually thanked Tsunade for making the right decision to send Sakura to Suna.

Such a rare prodigy, a genius and a legend in her own beautiful way, Chiyo mused. Everything about Sakura was perfect. The first time she had witnessed Sakura use her poisons-Chiyo had felt a demonic auro, almost absorbing the poison as if it was clean, poison-free water. It sent shivers tingling down her spine for days, but Chiyo had grown to embrace it and even be incredibly jealous about it.

The way she just carelessly gulped down poisons without a care in a world and create such dazzling, dangerous side-effects. It was too amazing to put into words. In a way, Sakura had surpassed Chiyo in various fields. Her chakra control was absolutely perfect and her power nearing to Kage-level if she didn't hold back. Chiyo understood why Sakura was holding back, she was afraid-one could see the terror in her eyes for the breifest moment, that Sakura was scared.

Scared to become a monster, she thought as she sliced through the herbs.

Sakura suddenly stopped, noticing the atmosphere had become eerie. Ignoring the worried glances, she jumped from the stool and raced towards the balcony. A blast of chilly air came through her, cooling her hot skin as strands of her hair flew around her like a pair of wings. Ten ravens sat perched around the balcony, with a pool of blood on the floor as Sakura panted lightly. A vision came, of a young girl's heart being torn apart from a crow, their beaks pecking at her flesh, swallowing her blood and thrashing wildly.

The girl had green eyes and pink hair.

She screamed, clutching her eyes.

* * *

A blur of white.

Voices, they seemed to bounce off the walls of her brain. Everything was so blurry, the edges of her vision laced with black and smoke curling around. Sakura coughed violently, her shoulder blades sticking out like sharp knives as she bent down and clutched her chest. The medic nins started to shout, but Sakura ignored them as she pushed them aside and staggered to the doorway.

In the meeting room, at the sight of her dishevelled appearance-Chiyo and Neji stood up abruptly. Sakura stared at them, unknown to the small, silver trail of tears streaming down her face as the memory came back. The vision was too ugly, too much for her to bare-it was so graphic, it felt so real. Their beaks tearing her flesh apart, ruining her face, eating her heart and swallowing her blood.

She released a broken sob.

Neji rushed to her side at the mention of her cries and held her in his arms, his eyes soft and gentle at the sight of her limp form resting agaisnt him. Chiyo watched, peering at their two forms before Gaara barged through the doors, clearly alarmed. At the sight of a crying Sakura, Gaara held his breath and looked almost scared to approach her-as if he had not been expecting all of this. But he stepped forward cautiosly, as Neji stared at him before Sakura met Gaara's gaze and smiled.

And it struck Chiyo just how many people had obviously fallen for her. She gave out a dry, low and hoarse chuckle-a Hyuuga and the future Kazekage. Chiyo praised her choices, they would obviously come in handy in the future. It was all about connections, power and rank nowadays, how people viewed you to be intimidating or just a laughing stock. Sakura wiped her tears and puffed her cheeks, clutching her chest as she calmed herself down.

Now was not the time to virtually worry everybody, now was the time to find out where the genjutsu had come from and countinue the training session. She rushed back inside her hospital dorm, changed into her clothes and strapped the katana around her body, slipping on her boots and gloves before tossing the hospital gown aside. "Chiyo-san, let's get back to work!" she cried, rushing back inside the waiting area.

Chiyo lifted a brow, struck by her determination as she sighed. "You really must get some rest Sakura, it's not good" she scolded, but her voice was light and in a teasing manner. Sakura shook her head, ignoring the burning sensation within her stomach and her headache as she forced a weak, assuring smile. Neji and Gaara frowned, looking worried underneath the orange glow of the light as Sakura cleared her throat.

"I'm heading to the lab" she said, her voice final before she ducked under the crowd and hurried out. She needed some time, oxygen and space to think-even if it were for the breifest moment. Everything was confusing to her, the vision rushing back like a waterfall to her brain. At the sight, Sakura staggered to a dark alleyway and bent over to vomit. Sakura coughed, sliding into the wall as she burried her face inside her hands and tried to calm her thumping heart.

Her vision was fading fast, curling in the edges like wisps of smoke before dissappearing all together. Her body fell to the floor with a soft thud, her hair scattered around her with a loose grip on her black katana.

* * *

The first thing she saw was Yomi's face from a distant, looking slightly wary and tired. Sakura blinked, finding herself inside a vast bedroom inside a soft, four poster bed with a gilded canopy with a window showing large, rolling fields and rain splashing down. She closed her eyes, shaking her tense limbs before throwing the covers aside and stumbling on her feet. Yomi clasped his hands behind him, looking grave as lightning flashed and illuminated his handsome, sharp face.

"Uchihas seem to have some sort of interest for you, Gaia" he said, his statement confusing her as she shot him a confused look. She slipped on her boots, smoothing down her jumpsuits as she grabbed the katana from the armchair and chewed her bottom lip. "What do you mean?" she asked, her fingers slightly grazing agaisnt the fine, unmarked leather of the katana. Yomi gave her a lingering stare, his large, crimson eyes alive like fire as he sighed.

"The virus...a man I loathe caused it. A very evil man, bewitched by illusions and sick fantasies" Yomi whispered, his fingers trailing across the window with a dazed, faraway look in his eyes. He tore his gaze from the view and stared at Sakura, his long, ebony hair brushing agaisnt his form as he smiled gently. Sakura glanced at her reflection in the gilded mirror, noting how her cheeks were tainted a healthy shade of pink.

"Who is this man?" she murmured, stepping forward as strands of her pink hair cascaded down her shoulders like a cloak. Yomi exhaled sharply, his fine silk clothes shimmering softly as he lifted his gaze and stared deep in her eyes. He was afraid, so frightened that all the wrong people had taken fascination to Sakura-now was not the time to make criminals from a deadly group know Sakura's true existence. Yomi and Jubi knew, knew the purpose in the Akatsuki-and for that, they were afraid and sneered insults and taunted their name in mockery and displeasure.

Yomi stared at her for a moment. He was also scared, frightened that Obito might come one day and steal her eyes, her beautiful, sapphire eyes that he had never seen before-but Jubi would always laugh, stating that not even Obito could see the full-blown, sheer size power of the reunited Ten Tails if he even tried to steal it. The reunited Ten Tails was a sacred sacrifice, when Jubi, Yomi and Sakura would fuse into one-creating the most beautiful yet so dangerous display of Sakura's heart, Jubi's power and Yomi's brain.

Together they were invincible. Together they were God.

He shuddered-in both delight and pleasure at the idea. Of ruling a world, something that was Jubi's most sacred goal, but Yomi was never fond of the idea. But it would suit Sakura, an eternal empress of all time. Already thirteen and she was already a substitute Hokage-Sakura had accomplished so much in a small space of time, since society forces children to grow up quicker and fight wars when coward leaders hide in the shelters of their palaces.

"His name is Obito Uchiha. The fool thinks his Madara" he whispered, clenching his fist at the mention of Obito's name. He pitied the man, he really did-but Yomi had disliked and loathed that man ever since he did that abomidable thing. The man was twisted, obssessed and insane-caught up in a wonderland, a fantasy and an illusion that involved Sakura. He shuddered, staring at Sakura with so much fondness.

He had grown attatched to her. Yomi had been there for her, when she grew up-but Jubi had said there was something more to her. A deeper, darker secret that even there unlimited knowledge did not know. "And who is this other Uchiha?" Sakura asked, breaking his dizzying train of thoughts. Yomi didn't answer instantly, instead he clicked his fingers and they found themselves in a golden platform floating in a blue ocean full of rose petals and a lilac sky.

Lanterns were hanging in the air, with roses hanging from fluffy clouds. It was really beautiful and sad, how Jubi-such a ghastly, broken creature-could create such beautiful, mind-blowing illusions. Yomi was just the representative of Jubi's work, Jubi was indeed the mastermind behind the world's creation. "Itachi Uchiha" Yomi said, and at the mention of his name-Sakura was hit by such hard force of memories floating in her mind.

She closed her eyes, crouching on the floor as she clasped a grip around fistfuls of her hair. Itachi Uchiha-the man who caused so much pain on Sasuke, but who played the villain of the Uchiha clan so his little brother could be recognized as a hero, the one who made the Uchiha name proud for generations to come. She smiled bitterly, knowing that maybe in another life-she could actually be friends with Itachi.

Too bad the world they lived in had some sort of cruel, twisted fate.

So Obito Uchiha was the one who did the virus. And for what? For satisfaction on killing innocent victims? Sakura shuddered at the thought, her eyes glazed with deepening disgust. But why Itachi? Why was he suddenly thrown into the whole ordeal? Sakura never liked knowing too much information that nobody else discovered, it left her edgy and nervous of anticipation of being discovered and caught.

"What's Uchiha Itachi doing here in Suna?" Sakura asked, her eyes brimming with hope. Yomi had told her that he and Jubi had access to world-wide knowledge, but Jubi could create illusions and give people visions while Yomi could summon proud samurais and fuse them together to create a sheild. Yomi looked thoughtful for a second, before giving out a dry, careless chuckle as the golden platform moved slowly.

"His just moving around. Not doing anything wrong" he finally concluded. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief-at least he wasn't causing trouble. The last thing she wanted was another crisis. Maybe that was what the meeting was all about, the one Chiyo went to without me, Sakura thought as she stared at the spectacular views. Maybe the council pitied her, and wanted her to have a break or something. The thought triggered anger for her, because they were underestimating her. Again.

So what if she was a thirteen year old girl?

Sakura was the substitute Hokage, she deserved to know the details. It was frowned upon that the village you were allied to was strangely secretive-it raised doubting questions about the friendship and the bond. She would have to have a word with the council later on, this was something to be handled with herself intact. "Can I go back now?" Sakura asked, brow furrowed as she thought of what to say to Chiyo.

Yomi nodded, bowing low so his forehead gently brushed agaisnt the golden, shiny surface before he clapped his fingers. The vision seemed to suck itself in, until a large swirl of black petals appeared and there was nothing.

* * *

Neji and Gaara ran down the streets, looking extremely worried with the pink haired shinobi on their minds. They had checked the lab numerous times, but there was no sign of Sakura. They were about to lose all hope and send out a search party, when a small, barely audible groan was heard out and a head dropped to the floor-pink hair spilling out on the path. Neji and Gaara shouted, before Chiyo appeared and they all hurried towards the form of Sakura, who sat up looking dazed.

"Chiyo, I need to speak to you" she said, her voice shocking them. Gone was the cheerful facade of hers, and was replaced a grim, sullen look. Chiyo suddenly looked deflated, as if she knew what was going on and pulled Sakura to her feet. They moved away from Gaara and Sakura, huddled in the corner as Sakura's lips moved and Chiyo could only gravelly nod each time. Neji watched from afar, brows furrowed as he chewed his bottom lip.

He hated it when Sakura was always so secretive and not reveal anything until later. But it gave him more thing to think about what she was going to show, and made him even more frustrated that he did not know. Beside him, Gaara held an impassive face with his arms folded, his eyes darting back and forth between Sakura's and Chiyo's form as he sighed and dropped his gaze. Why did Sakura had to be so complicated? She could've just stayed at hospital rather than be found in a dirty alleyway and talking to Chiyo in the middle of the street.

She always pushes herself to her limit, he thought dryly. Gaara watched as Sakura nodded, before turning towards them as she stalked through the crowds. "There's going to be a meeting in five minutes. Come on" Sakura said, her voice distant with a faraway look in her eyes as they all trailed after her and Chiyo. By the time they arrived at the vast meeting building, Sakura was heavily draped in the Hokage robes and the hat perched on her head, sitting on the wooden chair with an impassive frown.

"Thank you for arriving to a meeting I requested. It was in short notice and I thank you for appearing nonetheless" Sakura began, looking grim underneath the large Hokage hat as the council subsided into a respectful silence. The council head puffed a ring of grey smoke from his wooden pipe, chest rising and falling as he stared at Sakura. "The idea of being future allies with a village who is not willing to share information for the sake of friendship and trust is highly frowned upon" she said, her voice challenging as several parts of the council seemed to shrink in their chairs.

"I have just been informed that sightings have been going around of an infamous, missing-nin. Tell me, why did I have to hear this from a person, rather than the council?" Sakura angrily shouted, her Hokage hat slightly shook as tresses of her pink hair brushed agaisnt her collarbone. The council head released a long, dreary sigh as he drummed his fingers against the table. "We had come to an agreement that you should have a break, especially after you managed to find the cure for the virus" the council head said in a soft voice.

Sakura scowled deeply, twisting the fabric into her palms as she gritted her teeth. "Your underesitimating me. So what if I'm thirteen? I am the subsitute Hokage! I have the same duties as the real Hokage!" she cried in angst and frustration. The council all sighed deeply, looking forlorn in a way as Sakura gave Chiyo a glance. "Gaara, as the future Kazekage, what is your opinion in the whole ordeal?" Chiyo asked thoughtfully, a small, tentative smile gracing her wrinkled, faded features.

"She is the substitute Hokage, and on behalf of her own village she does have the right to help us with our affairs" he said truthfully, earning a smile from Sakura. The rest of the council nodded their heads, agreeing to Gaara's words as the council head frowned deeply. "But don't you want a break? Isn't this all a bit stressful for you?" he said weakly, knowing all to well that he had lost before he had even set foot inside the meeting building. Sakura stubbornly shook her head, glancing at Neji at her side as she shot him a triumphant smile.

"So, Chiyo-san. I would be forever grateful if you would give me the necessary information" Sakura asked, sitting back down as she sighed and puffed her cheeks. "Sightings of the missing-nin have increased. Daily reports going around and more meetings for Baki's updates on the missing-nin" Chiyo said dryly. Sakura tapped her chin for a moment, looking thoughtful before she smiled. "Too much for this to handle Chiyo? When was the last time you had a break?" she asked in a light, teasing manner.

"Too long" Chiyo said with a snort, earning several laughter from the council as the sound rippled through the crowd. "So daily meetings for the daily updates? Aren't we getting all worked up for somebody whose not doing anything but lurking?" Gaara asked, arms folded neatly as his eyes observed the crowd. Chiyo shook her head, silver hair shaking gently as she pressed her lips in a tight line. "Just tightening up the security. After that virus accident, Suna can't handle anymore unexplainable deaths and such. It was a good thing Sakura found the cure" Chiyo said, and a murmur of compliments were tossed towards the pink haired girl's direction.

"Any idea who the missing-nin is?" Sakura asked, wondering what sort of names they were going to think of. The council looked thoughtful for a second, before the council head cleared his throat and parted his dry, chapped lips. "Probably another scum from Akatsuki" he said in a grave, monotone voice. The council all nodded their heads in agreement as Chiyo nodded her head, tapping her fingers against the smooth surface of the wooden table.

"What if it was Akatsuki?" Sakura asked, genuinely curious. She wanted to know how the security system worked here in Suna. The council head smiled, lips in a thin line as he snickered. "Triple everything we have, Haruno-san. Only the best for Suna" he stated proudly. Sakura smiled, clicking her fingers in need of water as she licked her lips. "Akatsuki have been dormant for years, when do you think they'll make a grand entrance?" Chiyo asked wistfully, looking dazed.

"I've already met one of them" Sakura said, earning gasps and diverting attention towards her. "I and Uchiha Sasuke (at the mention of his name, Neji and Gaara saw her form slightly tremble with her eyes turning glassy) did not know why Naruto and Jiraiya were going out, so we came after him. It turns out that Uchiha Itachi had beaten us to it, and we fought him until Jiraiya came to save the day" she said casually, as if running into an S-Class criminal was as normal as running into a stray cat.

The council-including Neji and Gaara-stared at her in a mixture of disbelief, awe and shock. Sakura smiled mysteriously, looking almost dreamy as she remembered the memory. When Sasuke had been beside her, alive and breathing and only just one inch away-his shoulder gently brushing agaisnt hers. And Naruto beside her, grinning and laughing with his warmth overwhelming her so much she was engulfed in euphoria.

Once they stood together. Now they were torn apart.

She stopped. Sakura couldn't think of them anymore. They were a distraction, they gave her sweet memories that wanted to make her lock herself inside a wardrobe and dream of them, escaping from brutal reality to a safe haven-an illusion that she badly wanted to be real no matter what. The meeting ended as Sakura shook off her robes and exited the vast meeting hall, content on going to Gaara's house to eat dinner.

Oddly, Temari had not been in the meeting. The Sand girl was newly recruited into the council, but as Gaara had explained she had a long term mission to do to pay off her debts. Sakura strolled down the street with Gaara and Neji in peaceful harmony. Temari was coming home tonight, and Kankarou coming back from a short mission. It seemed like everybody was busy with missions nowadays, she thought wistfully.

She looked forward on seeing Temari and Kankarou. They were so full of laughter and warmth, and such great company. Not to mention Temari's rather aggresive humour and Kankarou's dry, sarcastic remarks. A smile graced her lips at the thought of the two other Sand Siblings, and she wistfully thought on how much they had grown. Gaara's home was cosy and warm, a building that blended into the surrondings with four bedrooms.

Gaara opened the door and Sakura and Neji stepped inside, the entrance hall smelling like freshly cleaned clothes. She sighed happily, entering the kitchen where she slid on the wooden chair and breathed a sigh of relief. Sakura rubbed her temples, exhausted and stressed as she puffed her cheeks. "Tea?" Gaara asked, and she nodded her head earnestly as Neji refused the unspoken offer, his silver eyes darting around his new surrondings.

"You need a vacation, Sakura" Gaara dryly remarked. Sakura blinked, before laughing as she realized how old that made her sound. "I'm fine Gaara" she said, but both Neji and Gaara gave her disbelieving stares. She sipped her tea heartily, idly swinging her legs midair as a thoughtful gaze settled down on her features. "How long was it since I had a proper sparr?" she wondered aloud. At first she had been scared that her bones would tense and she could not do the tricks she had once done, but Yomi and Jubi had forbidden for such a thing to happen-thus making her rather invincible.

"Too long" Neji said, mimicking Chiyo. Sakura chuckled, grinning at Neji as she stared at the now-empty cup and sighed. Finally, the heavy front door opened with a bang and Temari came in with a freshly bandaged Kankarou, who grinned at them. "Sakura-chan!" Temari howled, hugging the pinkette as Sakura laughed and wrapped her arms around the warm Sand sibling. They parted, exchanging a few words before Gaara absconded towards the living room, gesturing for everybody to follow him.

"Gaara's making us dinner! I'm proud of you!" Kankarou shouted, earning a scowl from the redhead as he glared at his older brother. Temari bursted into a fit of laughter, before the door opened and a delivery from the local resturant appeared. Temari pouted, clearly dissappointed by grabbed the food earnestly nonetheless and slid on to the couch, kicking off her shoes. Neji stood awkwardly, with Sakura beside him as they both sat on the other sofa, empty plates in their hands as they began to fill it with food.

"How was your mission?" Gaara asked, eyeing Kankarou's bandaged state as Temari grinned. "It was fine, but when we were going home we got ambushed by some criminal and he used bombs-and well, Kankarou kind off stepped on it, and yeah..." the Sand female said, poking Kankarou. He scowled, jabbing his knife deep inside the juicy meat before tearing it apart with his sharp teeth.

"Could've at least given me a warning" Kankarou muttered, earning a harsh yell from Temari. Gaara rolled his eyes, used to their behaviour as he sliced through the steak and ate it. Neji watched, observing their actions as he wrinkled his nose and tried to ignore Temari's rather colorful language. "Anyways, what's been happening in the council?" Temari asked, and Sakura inwardly groaned as she swallowed. "Some sort of missing-nin has been spotted. Daily updates mean more daily meetings" Sakura said with a hint of bitterness in her voice. Temari scoffed, sipping her green tea. "Damn these stupid missing-nin, so annoying" she whined.

Sakura laughed, her knee gently grazing against Neji as she shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "You are part of the council Temari" she teased, her voice light and carefree as Temari scowled deeply. "Well, it's good to be back nonetheless. You don't know how much I missed you, Sakura!" Kankarou said, attempting to flirt as Temari slapped him around the head and frowned. Sakura laughed again, noticing that Gaara and Neji were now glaring at Kankarou for his bold behaviour and sighed.

The hours had passed without her even knowing. Sakura loved good company, but it always made her lose track of time. The amount of paperwork that had to be done seemed to weigh in her heart, and she despaired. "I should probably go" she said, and Temari whined like a little child and pouted. "Paperwork, Temari. It ages me" Sakura said sourly, earning laughter from the female Sand ninja.

"Bye Sakura!" she cried as Neji and her exited the house. Sakura laughed, waving goodbye as she and Neji strolled down the path in a comfortable silence. "Did you like them?" Sakura asked, clasping her hands behind her as she tilted her head to the side. Neji nodded, but to be honest Temari was far too loud and Kankarou too crude, but they were friendly and possessed no harm for him and Sakura.

The hotel hovered on top of their bodies like a large man as they entered the empty reception area. They climbed up the stairs, before Sakura waved goodbye to Neji as she shut her door behind her. Sakura collapsed on the ground, exhausted beyond belief before her vision faded and she fell forwards with a soft thud.

* * *

Her sleeping form was laying on a golden boat, cast adrift in an ocean full of stars. Her eyes blinked open, revealing a bright green as she stood up. Gone were her usual attire, and was replaced by a simple white, floaty dress with a rose wreath around her hair and bare feet. Sakura saw Yomi, gently pulling the long, slim oar easily as she felt the boat rock gently in the waves. The air was fueled by jasmine, and the sky was the color of a pale, faded jade with golden clouds.

It was a spectacular sight, one that took her breath away as she stared at her surrondings in a mixture of shock and awe. Her eyes landed on Yomi's form, who was wearing an extravagant samurai attire including a long, red cape that stretched around him. He nodded towards her, and Sakura stood up as cherry blossoms trees seemed to sprout from the water-fully bloomed. Sakura looked around her, blown away by the sheer capacity and beauty of it all.

"Jubi has outdone himself" she remarked, her gaze never leaving her surrondings. It was such a beautiful water garden, one with many cherry blossom trees, floating roses and waterfalls with pale mauve coloured water gushing down. "We are heading to the Palace" Yomi declared. Just when Sakura was about to say something, the most breath-taking golden palace stretched above her like a statue.

The palace was as big as three mountains, connected together by water gardens and corridors. The boat entered the palace which seemed to have water instead of wooden floor, full of priceless ornaments and extravagantly furnished rooms with windows draped heavily in velvet. Each room was furnished with priceless, jewelled ornaments, upholstered sofas and oriental rugs with paintings of golden palaces and beautiful goddesses.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked as they ran up a grand staircase. Yomi didn't answer, instead he stopped in front of a big pair of golden doors-the size of a front of a normal house-before he swept his cloak aside dramaticlly as the door opened. Sakura held her breath, eyes widening at the rather savage sight she saw as she licked her lips and stepped inside. The room was vast, the biggest room so far with a statue in the front, it's mouth opened revealing a large throne.

But the floor was absolutely breath-taking, underneath the floor was the Jubi himself-his large, black tails sweeping out in between pillars as Sakura was led to the throne. The throne was rather grand, the chair itself was adorned with jewels, the floor with plush, deep oriental rug and a chandelier in the high ceiling. The wall was covered in windows and climbing red roses, and the whole room shreiked of granduer, extravaganat and fine, perfect detail-not a single thing marked.

"...This is amazing Jubi, Yomi" Sakura breathed, staring at the throne. Everything was fit for the highest Empress, a reigning supremem alpha female who dominated half the universe. Every ambitious man could only dream of this palace, which was out of their grasp. Slowly, she sat down on the throne and held her breath, stroking the gilded chair. Oblivious to her-Sakura's own appearance changed, and a headdress of ten golden tails appeared, with a large jade jewel in the middle. Her gown was transformed into a sumptous red kimono, with a dragon detail threaded in golden finery and on her feet were beautiful shoes.

The Yin seal appeared, proud and exposed for the whole world to see and a bird appeared, perched on the throne with it's wings spread out like dancing flames. Specks of orange were streaked across it's beautiful limbs, and Sakura gasped in both shock and delight at the whole ordeal.

A pheonix. A creature of rarity, royalty and power.

"Why?" she whispered, Sakura could barely speak. The whole illusion was just too beautiful, too captivating it could make her sit down and stare at it for days upon days. Everything was flawless, in the background she could hear the melodious sound of an instrument and the gentle sound of the water gardens, and it made her smile. Yomi appeared in front of her, bowing low as he gave her a ghost of a smile that was rarely shown in his handsome, otherworldly face.

"We are simply showing you your home" Yomi said. Sakura's eyes widened, her face a mixture of shock, disbelief and excitement. All of this, all of this perfect detail, the elaborately designed rooms and beautiful water gardens were all for her? She could barely surpass the grin that lit up her face, and she stood up and examined her surrondings once again. The room was split into large, thin pathways to show the Jubi underneath and in the edges were a sparkling waterfall, with large, mythical fishes on the water.

Words could not describe how amazing everything was. One could simply be blown away by the whole scenary and stare for days and days. "You've really outdone yourself. This all just so amazing" Sakura said, bewitched by her beautiful surrondings. Jubi growled appreciatively while Yomi just smirked, sweeping his cape over his abnormally tall form as he said with a hint of arrogance in his voice. "This is nothing, Gaia" he merely said.

Her eyes widened. Just how powerful was the Jubi and Yomi combained? Sakura had been told the ultimate weapon, the weapon when she, Yomi and Jubi fuse together as one or the other one when Sakura could summon every single ounce of the Tailed beast. She had been told that every single tailed beast apart from the Kyuubi was just a fragment of Jubi's chakra when he had a battle with the Sage of the Six Paths.

The walls were draped in tapestries showing the glorious battles and forms of the Jubi. Apparently, no person managed to use the ultimate sacrifice weapon and made it out alive-and that was rather hard to believe since the previous vessel of the Jubi had been the Sage of the Six Paths. A soft, melodious music filled the air and a haunting voice came sweeping inside, engulfing her in euphoria and a state of dreaming.

It seemed like woman seemed to appear from thin air, dancing around her in floaty dresses and dream-like expressions on their face. Sakura closed her eyes, feeling their fingers gently graze against her skin. And the memories came rushing back, of the feeling of sun-soaked summers, laughter wafting through the air and running back to their beloved village after a long mission. Smiling, laughter, Sasuke, Naruto.

Team 7.

She choked, tears streaming down as she ran around helplessly, desperately trying to grab for their hands, to run wild and free. But the music stopped, the dancers vanished and she was too scared to open her eyes anymore. But she did, and what she saw was not the loving faces of Sasuke Naruto-but the detailed design of the throne room, and the same haunting voice seemed to echo in her mind as Yomi was screaming her name now. But his voice was distant, because she could only hear those words.

_For angels to fly, _

_to fly, to fly_

_ For angels to die_

* * *

The last scene was inspired by The A Team by Ed Sheeren and the cover by Birdy (angels, they are angels) and for the palace...just think water gardens, golden ornaments and just anything beautiful and perfect really. I hope you enjoyed, hope it wasn't too crap (ugh) and PLEASE REVIEW!


	25. Chapter 25

Her eyes fluttered open and she stared at the white ceiling, back inside her hotel room as she hoisted herself up with the help of the bed. Outside, the sky was a midnight black with silver stars scattered around, and oblivious to her a yawn escaped from her lips and she clasped a hand around her mouth. But the memories came rushing back in, and she found herself suffering a splitting headache that threatened to break open her skull.

Slowly and carefully, she dragged her half-awake body sluggishly to the bed where she collapsed in a messy heap and sighed, throwing the blankets around her as she was once again engulfed by sleep. Unknown to her, a shadow stretched across her form, staring at her body with his crimson eyes flaring beneath his dark, long lashes. He took a step forward, but as he did so he felt powerful chakra radiate the girl and a small, inhuman hiss.

He vanished in a whirl of crows, the only sign he was there was the single black feather on the floor.

* * *

Neji patiently waited outside Sakura's hotel room, slightly leaning against the wall with his back propped against the door. He stared into space, before the door clicked open and he stumbled on his feet. Sakura came outside, wearing her usual clothes with her hair tied up in a high ponytail and her bangs loose on her shoulders. Her katana was strapped behind her, and she smiled at Neji warmly.

"Let's go get breakfast" she said, before Neji nodded his head in agreement. They walked down the flight of stairs, exiting the hotel as they neared the resturant down the road. It was half-empty, with a sleepy looking waitress who wrote down their oder in messy handwriting before trotting off. Sakura stared into space, thinking back on yesterdat when she had the pleasure of visiting the palace.

She was pretty much looking forward to the next time she passed out or fell asleep. Even if it were a small glimpse of the palace, it would make her day. But the thought alone of having the palace as her home made her feel nervous. She wouldn't suit her surrondings, everything was fine and perfectly detailed while she was just a glitch. Their orders came, and Sakura busily ate her breakfast when hunger came back in full force.

There was to be a meeting early this morning for the daily reports. The meetings would be held in the morning, afternoon or evening-urgent meetings were booked in short notice. Sakura pitied Baki, wondering when was the last time he had his break. She began to gulp down her water, sighing in satisfaction as she reached for her purse. But Neji had beaten her to it, since he had paid in advance. She shot him a scowl, in which he gave her a smug smirk.

"I should really pay" Sakura muttered under her breath, but nonetheless enjoyed their pointless bicker. "Hurry up, Sakura. The meeting is about to start within twenty minutes" Neji inquired, and it was only then that she noticed he had already finished his meal. Sakura shrugged her shoulders, chewing thoughtfully before she swallowed. "I like being fashionably late, Neji" she teased in a light, carefree manner.

He rolled his eyes at her sayings and drummed his fingers against the wooden surface of the table. She finished her meal, wiping her mouth as she brushed her hair away from her face and looked at Neji. They exited the cafe, walking towards the meeting hall building which was guarded by several Suna guards. They all bowed low upon her arrival, and she briskly entered the building with Neji trailing after her.

Sakura put on her Hokage robes, adjusting several straps before the doors opened and she stepped inside. The council was there, with Temari looking serious and Baki's team assisted by Kankarou. Gaara was beside the council head as per usual, and Sakura took a seat in front of Chiyo with Neji standing behind her. The bell rang, and the meeting began as Baki cleared his throat and began.

"Sightings of the missing-nin have been reported. He seems to lurk around in the South East region of Suna. We've tripled the amount of guards down there" Baki said. The council murmured, and Sakura frowned-not fully satisfied with the report, she had woken up especially early just to hear that? "Do you have any day who this missing nin is?" Sakura asked, lifting a brow. Baki took out a piece of paper, his eyes darting down at the list as he nodded.

"Sasori of the Red Sand or..." Baki trailed off, placing a photograph of Sasori himself. Chiyo hardened, and her wrinkly hands grasped around her cloak tightly as her lips were pushed into a thin line. "Ah, my grandson always looked too young for his age" Chiyo said bitterly. Sakura snorted as Baki placed a photograph of none other than Uchiha Itachi. She grinned, at least were getting somewhere, she thought with relief.

"My money's on Uchiha" she declared. The council gasped in shock, muttering under their breaths as the council head quirked a brow. "How can you be so sure, Sakura-san?" he asked, drumming his fingers against the table as he narrowed his eyes-expecting an answer. "I can detect chakra, council head. His is extremely faint, but I can feel it. I just can't pint-point where he is exactly" Sakura said with a hint of frustration. She could use Jubi's chakra to detect Itachi's prescence, but any fool could feel his strong chakra. Besides, Sakura had yet to control Jubi's chakra perfectly by molding her chakra into his.

"How can you detect him? My team have spent weeks and have not found a single clue" Baki said in astonishment. Sakura smirked, looking extremely smug underneath the hat as she leaned against the chair. "I'm a strong sensor type Baki, I was gifted or blessed you could say. But indeed, it took me several days of stern meditation to say my evidence" Sakura said dryly. The council looked at her in a mixture of shock and awe. Once again, Haruno Sakura strikes.

The bell rang, and the meeting ended with promises to meet again this afternoon. Sakura shrugged off her robes, sighing deeply as she gave Neji a tired smile before they headed out. Gaara catched up on them, looking wary and tired as well. "Some meeting that was" she grumbled, ducking her head as the sun hit her full force. Gaara snorted, agreeing as he nodded his head wordlessly. "I woke up early in the morning just to hear that!" Sakura cried, throwing her hands in the air as she stormed down the road.

Gaara and Neji exchanged worried glances. They had never been in the prescence of a Sakura who was about to deliver a full-blown tantrum. It was times like this they probably needed Naruto's guidance. The idiot would probably advise them to run for it, and the idea did seem appealing when Sakura growled viciously. Rare times did they see her look so angry, usually because she was always so composed and relaxed and happy.

"I'm going to the lab" she muttered, but nonetheless waved Gaara goodbye as she broke into a run. Neji sighed, before trailing after her as he struggled to keep up. Adrenaline rushed through her bones, satisfying her 'upgraded' muscle tissues as she breathed deeply and found a burst of chakra within. She was running so fast now that everybody seemed to stand still, and the exhilaration was an incredible feeling.

But it felt like somebody had snatched the back of her shirt in full force, sending her plummenting across the hallway as her spine connected with the wall. Sakura coughed out blood, hissing in pain as she looked around rapidly. But nobody was there, until her eyes fell on a single, black feather and she tensed.

Uchiha Itachi

* * *

Neji managed to caught up with her, panting heavily with beads of sweatolling down his forehead before he lifted his gaze and jumped up in surprise. Sakura was laying in the far corner, panting as she clutched her chest-her gaze never leaving the single, black feather. But when she reached over to touch it, the feather immediatly turned to dust and vanished into thin air, making her even more confused as she sighed heavily.

When was she going to get the answers? Sakura thought in despair as she fought the urge to whine and wail childishly. Neji bent down and he pushed her up, and as Sakura thanked him, puffing her cheeks as she rubbed her temples. What should she do? Go to the lab or request an urgent meeting that she had just witnessed something important and beneficial? She cursed aloud, causing Neji to smile-amused by her actions and crude language.

"Neji, let's go" Sakura said. She would wait until this lunch, and maybe until then that Uchiha bastard could show up again. More for her to talk about. The lab was at the end of the hall, with no guards standing by as they entered the doors and found Chiyo busily placing the equipment down on the table. She lifted her face and smiled softly at the sight of them, and Sakura returned the polite gesture before dragging Neji to the staff room.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" Neji asked, his face wrinkled in concern at her faraway, distant look. She was thinking of Itachi, and more importantly-Sakura was thinking of why he was here. Simply to cause a stirr? Or maybe to torment her? But he was Uchiha Itachi for god's sake, he didn't go through all this trouble for nothing. He was probably planning something, she thought as she narrowed her eyes-still unaware of Neji's question.

But she was pulled back to reality when his hand waved in front of her in a rapid pace, and she blinked before she jumped-startled. Sakura met Neji, her eyes weren't clouded with something he couldn't fathom anymore, but translucent and clear. "Sorry, I'm just tired" she said, smiling at him as she was touched by his care and worry for her. Sakura always felt calm and safe around with Neji, just like Naruto and Sasuke. At the mention of their names, she stopped in her tracks before scolded herself-I should really stop thinking about them, she thought warily.

And dreaming about them, a voice said in the back of her head.

Sakura clenched her jaw, pushing strays of her hair away as she slipped on the stool in front of Chiyo. Neji sat beside her, hands clasped around his apron and Sakura remembered those long, boring hours of staying in the Academy back at Konoha. Those were the days, she wistfully thought, a slight smirk on her face. Chiyo cleared her throat, snapping her out of her trance as Sakura shuffled through the papers.

"We'll be mixing herbs and poisons now" Chiyo said in a grave voice. Sakura nodded, taking the saved contents of her poisons from the last session as she poured it into the mixing bowl and fused it with several herbs. Neji did the same, with more instruction from Chiyo as she examined Sakura's work. But Sakura hardly heard anything, it was as if somebody had blocked her senses completely-that the law of nature had been forgotten and she was floating somewhere, sleeping and dreaming.

Her whole body was paralyzed, so still anybody could have thought she was a statue. Fear rose in her chest and bubbled on her throat, before Jubi growled and the genjutsu snapped and broke. Sakura released a breathy moan, panting as beads of sweat tickled down her forehead. What the hell just happened? Sakura thought with wide eyes, staring at her curled hands in her lap. She met Neji's and Chiyo's worried stares, and smiled at them reassuringly.

"Sorry, spaced out a bit" Sakura said in a forced, carefree voice. Chiyo quirked a brow, but didn't ponder further as they countinued to do their work in silence. But Sakura's mind was drumming-who on earth but a genjutsu on her? And up until now, she had no idea there was even such a thing as mental genjutsu. The idea made her stiffen with worry-what if the user had seen Jubi and Yomi? Her palace? The thought made her shudder.

And, in the corner of her eye a dark shadow flickered in the balcony-before vanishing.

* * *

"Why is she so interesting to you?" a voice said, low and stable as it rang out through the large, vast hallways of the abondened palace. Two dark silhouettes stood, apart from eachother each with challenging glares and crimson eyes. A raven squeked, coming through the broken window and landing on the man's shoulders, it's feathery body wringling a bit as two ebony feathers dropped to the floor.

He didn't answer at first. Instead, he drew his hands out revealing perfectly painted nails and a shiny, metal ring on his fingers. The ring caught a stream of light that set down on the walls covered in moss and ivy, and it glimmered beautifully. They both stared at the ring, a moment of silence passed before the raven dissappeared in a puff of black smoke. The other man stared at him now, stepping out of the shadows as his form was fully revealed.

"She is quite...unique" he whispered, replying to his question. Obito stared at him through his orange mask, fingering the edges of his cloak as he breathed steady breaths. He must remain calm. He must not show that damn Itachi that he cared for her. He must, for his and her safety. Obito silently nodded, the edges of his black hair curling against his skin as he tilted his head to the side. Once, this abondened palace used to be the pinacle of beauty, rare and undiscovered. And now it lay, undiscovered and slowly rotting away. That was what he hoped was Sakura's destiny, except she would never rot away-she'd always stay the beautiful, Sakura he knew.

But of course, Itachi just had to take an interest on her. Probably because his foolish younger brother held a rather interesting and confusing bond with Sakura, but the other reasons were shadowed and out of his grasp. No matter how much Obito tried, Sakura was just like that-always out of his grasp. She was a reminder that he could not have everything he wanted, because people like her were always something rare. A rough jewel waiting to be polished.

"Why must you know?" Itachi asked, breaking the silence. Obito clenched his jaw, not liking his curious stare as he traced a finger over the mossy wall, breaking the ivy as it fell on the floor-revealing the Uchiha symbol. Now it shimmered, in it's former glory and might. Both men stared at it, deprived by unwanted memories at the sight of the crest before they turned their heads away. Obito must not underestimate Itachi. The man was a Uchiha after all, and managed to kill the Uchiha clan single-handedly.

"And why must you ask?" this time, it was Obito who snapped. They shared a small silence, before Itachi vanished in a swirl of black feathers. Obito stared at the spot where he had been, before curling his hands into a tight fist as he sighed bitterly.

Sakura always attracted wrong attention.

* * *

Neji gazed thoughtfully at Sakura hunched figure, her eyes peered at the herb in her fingertips with a fixed, determined scowl on her face. He smiled, a faint one but a smile nonetheless. With Sakura, he felt relaxed. Because he knew that she wasn't in any sort of danger, and if she was-he was here to protect her. The afternoon greeted them with wisps of light from orange tinged clouds, streaming through the dark alleyways of Suna.

He released a low, husky breath as heat deprived his body, making his clothes stick to his hunched body. Neji craned his neck to stare at Sakura again, still busy on her work as he sighed once again. The tips of her forehead were softly brushing against the wooden table, before she pulled back and stretched her limbs. Neji lifted a brow, and she slipped from the seat and breathed a long, exhausted sigh.

"God, my back hurts" she complained. Neji snorted. She had been hunched over that herb for the last forty minutes, he was surprised her spine hadn't snapped yet. Sakura tucked a stray of pink hair behind her ear, pulling on her black, fingerless gloves as she strapped the katana around her. They were on the roof on the main building of the poison factory, since the heat had been unbearable lately.

Chiyo appeared from the greenhouse, placing a wooden pot on the table as she poured thick soil on to it. Sakura wrinkled her nose at the strong smell and took a step back, exhaling the balmy breeze that whistled past and threaded through her locks, playing with her hair. She stared out into the orange streaked sky, tinged with rose gold and puffy clouds floating by with the bright sun. It was already late afternoon.

"We best get going now" she muttered. Neji nodded his head wordlessly, gracefully jumping off the wooden stool as he waited for Sakura. They both waved goodbye to Chiyo, opening the door before running down the flight of stairs. Today, the heat had been unbearable. Sweat was something Sakura hated, no matter how many times she had been given time to get used to it-she hated the feel of it.

Sakura wriggled underneath her jumpsuit, tracing a finger across the patterns of the silver dragons as the soft fabric rustled beneath her fingertips. The chilly breeze felt satisfying on her heated skin as they exited through the entrance and walked down the clear path. Her mind was racing with all the paperwork and books she had to read, and Sakura groaned in pain at the thought of staying up late once again.

"Neji, paperwork again" she whined. Neji could only release a chuckle, patting her back softly as she ran a finger through her smooth locks. It always struck him that she was always moving, running and yet her hair was never tangled, glossy and smooth. Being a Hyuuga, appearance also mattered for good lasting impressions. Neji took great pride on his last name and appearance, always making sure he woke up every morning and looked decent for the rest of the day.

But he felt ever so untidy against Sakura. Whether it was the fine fabric of her clothing, or the way she carried herself, Neji felt plain and simple. Sakura looked like she was royalty, with otherworldly grace and a certain atmosphere around her. No wonder the council head has a liking for her, he thought dryly as he glanced at her quickly. It was true though, she stood out amongst the crowd. With her peculiar yet beautiful pink hair, and such bright green eyes the color of polished emeralds.

Neji blushed a scarlet red when he caught himself staring at her, and he averted his gaze away quickly. Why was he thinking of her this way? Before, during the old days when she was part of Team 7 and he part of Team Gai, they had countinued on their lives peacefully without disturbing one another's. And Neji eventually grew to find friendship in Sakura, but why had he started to think of her more then that?

His heart hammered painfully against his chest, so loud he was afraid she'd hear. But she didn't, instead she kept striding along the path while humming a soft tune. He stared at her peaceful face, and noted that she never had the same expression in Konoha ever since Sasuke left. Konoha to her were just endless nights in the hospital and being in Tsunade's study working on her poisons. Neji knew she didn't want to step out into the world, afraid if memories will come rushing back.

He loathed Sasuke after he left. His escape resulted into Sakura having mental breakdowns and Naruto striving to take him back with fiery determination. Neji always wondered why he left, but when he did-he came to the conclusion that Sasuke left for such deep rooted reasons. Seeing Sakura now, strolling down the path and humming was something he hadn't seen her do for ages. It seemed like here in Suna, she was happy.

What if she wanted to stay here?

The thought made his heart quicken in anticipation and worry. Sakura was much happier here, but she bore the Konoha headband. He stared at her, clenching his fist as he tried to muster up the courage to ask her. But he didn't want her good mood to falter, so his lips pressed against eachother in a thin line. They stopped in front of the hotel as Neji pushed open the door and they stepped inside the reception area.

They made their way up the flight of stairs, reaching the second floor. His room was just next to Sakura's, in case somebody even dared to ambush her. But nobody probably will, especially after she managed to gain a good reputation and solved the virus of the river. Now, Suna's water supply has never been better.

"Neji, can you help me with my paperwork?" Sakura asked. Neji nodded as he waited for her to twist the golden door knob before the door creaked open. Her room was miles better then his, since she was substitute Hokage after all. There was a wooden canopy bed, with a large wardrobe, a plush carpet, a mahogany table with a leather chair. The only part that wasn't immaculately clean was the desk area, which was littered with paperwork and textbooks.

Neji stared at in despair, watching as Sakura's frown deepened. "Come on, let's get busy" Sakura muttered, sitting down on the chair as she gestured for Neji to sit on the carpet. She gave him several files to check and mark, before putting them in a neat blue folder for the council head to check.

"What is all this?" Neji asked in wonder. Sakura grumbled, her hands swiftly moving as she signed a piece of paper. "The papers your checking if my homework for Chiyo-san and the council head. The papers I'm signing are strictly confidential" she said curtly. Neji nodded, his red pen already crossing out several words to replace them. Being a ninja, literacy was never anyone's good subject. But Sakura's way of writing was stern and cunning, beautiful words flowing neatly on the piece of paper.

It was obvious she was smart as well as educated. The Academy was rather poor on teaching literacy, so Neji was quite surprised to find her knowing quite a lot about it. He had underestimated Sakura yet again. She was always full of surprises, her hidden talents revealed in days like this.

"Do you like Suna?" Neji asked, filling in the silence. Sakura stopped, her hand poised as she met his gaze and dropped her pen. "It's a remarkable village, but I love Konoha more then anything else. Even though it gives me memories" her voice was distant, faraway and her eyes were glazed and clouded with something. Neji wished he could have never asked her the question, for her expression wilted ever so slightly.

She said those words like she was convincing herself. But maybe Sakura did love Konoha. Maybe it was because of Naruto, or the people in it. But when he thought of the friends she had in Konoha, he understood why she had a growing dislike for her own village. Her own sensei neglected her, Sasuke left and Naruto was away. Her only friends had vanished when she had needed them the most, and Neji and possibly Gaara were there to hold her.

"I just wish they could come back" she said softly. There was a silence, and none of them spoke for the next couple of hours or so.

* * *

Gaara watched as the sun rose from the horizon, streaks of orange filling the sky as he stood up and dusted his clothes. The rings around his eyes had grown deeper now, the color of charcoal black from not sleeping. He opened the balcony door, stepping inside his clean bedroom before he sat on his bed and sighed. Tiredness provoked his body, and his shoulder slouched forward as he stared at the empty ceiling.

It was going to be a normal day. Training programme for Kazekage, meetings and studying in the library. His mood sparked when he thought of Sakura, and he wistfully thought when was the last time he had met her. Sakura gave him comfort in a silent way, she saw him as a human, not as a monster and he felt sweet salvation from that. Gaara slipped on his black shoes, before stepping out of his house and exiting through the front door.

The first few villagers were up, dragging stalls behind them to prepare for the busy, daily market day. A breeze came past, and sand swirled around his ankles as he strolled down the path. He saw Baki's faint silhouette in the distance, entering a resturant and he met his gaze before Gaara increased his pace. The tall, muscular and much more older man nodded at Gaara, before they both slipped inside the resturant.

It was half empty, with only an elderly man in the corner and a yawning child with her mother. He slipped inside a leather booth, with Baki sitting in front as he ordered some food. Gaara shook his tense muscles, sighing deeply before he saw Sakura enter, with Neji beside her. Their eyes met, and she grinned before walking towards them with Neji. Baki and Sakura exchanged polite glances, while Sakura dragged two chairs for her and Neji.

"Is there a meeting today?" she asked. Baki shrugged his shoulders, and Gaara raked a finger through his tousled hair. "Probably. Due to daily updates for the missing-nin" Gaara said. At the mention of the missing-nin, Sakura cursed under her breath. She had forgotten to hold a meeting in the evening for her sighting of the missing-nin. Sakura grumbled at her forgetfulness, and noticed a sudden change of air.

But nobody seemed to notice it. Within her, Jubi and Yomi tensed ever so slightly. Sakura looked around her-the child and the mother was gone, it was just them and that man. Unless one of them are pretending, she thought as her eyes darted between Baki, Gaara and Neji. But she couldn't detect anything in them, so that left...

Sakura stood up abruptly, watching as the elderly man stood up to exit the shop. Their shoulders brushed against eachother softly, and unknown to anyone she tugged on the edges of his shirt and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Hiding in plain sight, aren't we, Itachi?" she breathed. The elderly man tensed, and before she could utter another word his pretense dropped and he moved so swiftly for a crooked man. His fingers brushed against her kunai holster, and he took out a kunai and pressed it against her throat. She was in his genjutsu, she could tell. It was a strong one, she thought but smirked. Not enough for Yomi to dispel though.

Itachi stared at her with an impassive face, trying to detect any emotion on her face. He was shocked that she saw through his genjutsu, and knew he should have never underestimated her. Even that Hyuuga boy, the next Kazekage and a Sand jounin didn't see it. And her? A girl with pink hair saw through his genjutsu? No wonder she's substitute Hokage, he thought dryly.

"Get the fuck out" she whispered, even sending shivers running up his spine. The minute he met her gaze, he held his breath in shock-her eyes were the most striking sapphire blue, and her skin looked like...cracked paint? The threat echoed through his mind, and she clicked her fingers before the genjutsu vanished. She was back at the resturant now, the old man staring at her in a state of confusion.

It took her several moments to discovers that Itachi had gone to great depths and trouble to posses one's mind for his doings, and she smirked before bowing politely at the old man. He smiled at her, wrinkly skin creasing like scrunched up paper before he tipped his hat and exited the resturant.

* * *

Itachi snapped his eyes opened, finding himself inside a dark room lit by a candle as a small smirk graced his thin lips. She was smart, smart enough to actually look past his genjutsu. He stood up, dusted off the dirt on his clothes before he cleared away the mess he made. He had gone through the trouble of meditating and possesing an elder's mind when he was a hundred miles away, and she still managed to detect him.

His trouble had not gone to waste.

She was a genius. Anybody could tell that by the way she talked, a steely grey in her dazzling eyes and the way she carried herself. Itachi stared off into the distance, his thoughts provoked by the girl. And he knew why his younger brother had such a fondness of her. Though she was strong, strong enough to possibly beat that Gaara kid in a battle, she represented a child-like innocence auro around her. Something that his younger brother once held, and he had sheltered.

Sakura had grown a deep bond for the Kyuubi vessel and his younger brother who bore the birth mark of an Uchiha. She seemed to attract attention from the Hyuuga and the Shukaku vessel. It seemed like she had a terrible habit on luring clan members and vessels of great demons. But Itachi could still recall when he had entered her hotel room, with such precise chakra concealment anybody would think he was hardly there-and she still saw him, through her sleep.

Haruno Sakura was indeed, a genius of a generation.

* * *

"Was there an important reason to hold a meeting at three am, Hokage-sama?" the council head said, his voice full of exasperation. Sakura ignored him, the steel and cold facade replacing her usual relaxed attitude. This was something important, she had just seen Itachi. She had found out who the missing-nin was, and to say the truth-Sakura wanted nothing more then to fight him, to at least land a blow on him and leave the rest for his younger brother. So Sasuke could find satisfaction and feed his hungry soul.

"In regards for the missing-nin" she said coldly. At the mention, the council stiffened and they all perked up to listen. Gone was the relaxed atmosphere, and replaced by a stiff, serious air. Her lips pressed against eachother in a tight line, and Temari and Chiyo gave her worried, concerned looks. If she told them straight away who the missing-nin was, they could find redemption on finding Itachi. But if she did, Suna would grow frantic, and rumours would spread that she had something to do with the sudden occurance of the bad things-virus, and now this, and it seemed like she was the only person who found out the cure.

People would start to think she was causing a stirr to create a reputation for Konoha for being brave with excellent shinobi. Call her paranoid, but Sakura had to examine this with great care. Maybe she could make it look like Gaara had solved it? Yes, that would be a great idea. The villagers would give him respect that he needed to be the next Kazekage, and give him a good reputation for the future.

"Me and Gaara have found out several possibilities on who the missing-nin is" Sakura said. Gaara shot her a startled stare, but kept his compusure. She saw the council excitedly murmur, and she smirked. That fed their hungry souls, she thought dryly as she cleared her throat.

"Our first suggestion was Uchiha Itachi. Joining forces, I managed to use my chakra detector and fuse it with his sand for several hours" she said in a stable voice. Sakura caught the sight of Gaara's fingers twisting knots of his shirt, and she shot him a look. His fingers stopped and dropped to his side, and he could just about manage an impassive face. The council nodded pleasently, glad that the future Kazekage had stepped up his game and worked with her.

Sakura wanted nothing more then to make Gaara a hero. Even if it meant she had to hide in the shadows when her place was rightlously beside him. She could already imagine Yomi and Jubi's displeased face, but she pushed away the thought.

"Will you countinue your search? Will you request anything else?" the council head asked. Sakura fought a smirk-twenty minutes ago he was complaining, now he was eager with his hands curling up like a child. She shook her head, and the meeting ended with her standing abruptly and calling Gaara's name. He scrambled towards her, looking displeased at the whole ordeal as he dragged her to a dark alleyway.

"What the hell was that about?" he hissed. Sakura shook off his arm from his vice-like grip, and suddenly felt angry. "Don't you understand? I'm trying to make you look like the hero! I want you to gain respect Gaara, respect you deserve" she said in a softer tone, gripping his shoulders. Gaara felt very much like a child being scolded, and his wide eyes stared at her with such admiration for her that it made her smile.

She wanted to make him the hero, he thought. It made him feel a burst of warmth spread across his chest. She was willing to give up her spot light that was meant for her, for the likes of him? But Gaara wanted to work for his respect, he didn't want anybody doing it form him. Finding a newfound determination, he tilted his chin upwards and gave her a ghost of a smile.

"Thanks, but I want to work for my respect" he whispered, before brushing past her and stepping out.

* * *

Sakura grumbled, twisting her hair tightly around her finger. Why, she thought in despair. Why couldn't Gaara just take the easy road and gain his respect? But it made her respect him even more, because Gaara was the type of person who wanted to work for his respect. Because it would actually mean something in the end, so he could feel pride for his accomplishments and knowing that he worked hard and deserved the respect and reputation.

It made her sigh at her appalling stupidity. She couldn't really host another meeting and say what she said earlier was just a joke. She couldn't undo it now, so she actually had to work with Gaara now. Inside her, Yomi and Jubi sighed wistfully at her and she chewed her bottom lip. Stepping out of the alleyway, a flood of light blocked her vision and she squinted, Neji appearing beside her in a puff of white smoke.

The lines on his face showed her that he was worried, and she smiled reassuringly at him. Sometimes, she felt like she never deserved Neji's protection. He was always kind and soft once you broke down that cold barrier of ice. He made her feel safe and relaxed, something only accomplished by Sasuke and Naruto. They strolled down the path in silence, with Neji often giving her worried looks.

"Were heading to the training grounds" Sakura declared, her brows slightly furrowed to show her determination. She had to go there and privately apologize to Gaara, before partnering up with him to track down Itachi. Of course, he'd do most of the work if he wants to work for his respect, she thought with a slight sly smile. The training grounds hovered on top of their bodies like a large, looming shadow.

Sakura nodded at the two guards standing outside the main entrance and slipped inside with Neji close behind her. From here, she could hear the slight clash of metal of the katanas, and distinctly remembered the first training session when she had taught Gaara how to use a katana. She could see him now, his red robes discarded revealing a fishnet top clinging to his sweat soaked skin.

They ran down the flight of stairs, reaching the training grounds as Baki awknoledged them with a nod. Gaara met her gaze, and gave her a confident smirk as he showed off his new skills on katana. He moved in a way that caused everything around him to rapture or cause noise. Sakura smirked, knowing that he had yet to master the swiftness.

"I'll fight you" her words were clear and confident as she tied her hair in a high ponytail and took her own katana Yomi had gave her. Gaara smirked again, jade eyes piercing at her as his katana gleamed against the pale, flickering orange glow above. Sakura stood in front of him, long hair gently floating as it framed her face when a breeze came past. A strand of his red locks covered his eyes, and when he brushed it away-she was gone.

He was in awe of her speed and swiftness moulding into one, until all he could see was a red and pink form. She appeared, twisting in the air with the katana on her right hand-managing to create a rip at the side of his shirt. Gaara took a leap back, meeting her half-amused smile that graced her lips. Sakura had been blessed with such great precise skill on mastering the katana due to Yomi and his 'rebirth' that not only included her appearance, but her muscle tissues upgraded and her skills polished.

"Don't you dare hold back Gaara, or I swear I'll rip your throat if your not on your guard" Sakura said dryly. Gaara instantly believed her as he lunged in, shoes scraping against the rough ground as two blades clashed against eachother, creating a perfect, harmonious sound. She met his gaze, and grinned at him and it was only then that Gaara realized she wasn't even trying. It took him all his strength to push back, and her grip around her katana was loose.

It angered him. She was strong, incredibly strong but she had the nerve to tell him not to hold back when she was? Gaara wanted to fight her, he wanted to see her true power unleash and leave her exposed for all the world to see. Suddenly, he could feel a burst of such strong chakra being released from her, enhancing her katana in black chakra before he was sent flying backwards.

He landed on his feet, stumbling before she was running again-so fast his eyes could only make out a blur. Suddenly, she appeared-faces inches away from him with that grin and a half-amused smirk evident on her face. He could feel her steady breaths against his neck, and felt her fingers threading through his red locks before she pulled his hair violently and smashed him to the ground.

Gaara hissed, rather dissappointed the fight had already ended with him on the ground. Sakura pulled his arm upwards, and he stumbled on his feet before wiping the beads of sweat that formed on his forehead. She gave him a grin, and slowly-her fingers brushed away his tangled locks that covered his eyes, and his breath caught on his throat at the feel of her soft fingers against his hot, sweaty skin.

"I'm sorry" she whispered in his ear, her hot breath fanning his neck. Gaara could only nod, not knowing entirely what she meant but did it matter? When it was just him and her and the soft breeze, they were perfect. Together they could stop time. She pulled back, and her warmth on his body vanished and he felt a blank space. Her eyes met his breifly, before she smiled and looked away.

The katana was strapped around her now, her hair free of the tight ponytail and loose on her shoulders. He stared at her, stared at her until her silhouette vanished through the doorway. Stared at the place where she had been, and a feeling of warmth and love spread throughout his chest, rippling like water as if a stone was dropped on the once-still surface.

* * *

Neji watched her form, and hated the way she had been so intimate towards Gaara. Hated the way her fingers brushed against his hair, and hated the way he stared at her with so much compassion and adoration. He could feel anger provoke his body, rippling up to his throat as he trailed after her. But why was he angry? The question drummed against his head, pounding and screaming as he sighed deeply.

Suddenly, he felt a warm hand rest on his head, fingers threading through his thick hair as he met the gaze of Sakura. "You okay?" she said, and he nodded stiffly-noticing that his hands were in tight fists as he loosened them. Her hand slipped from his hair, and it dropped to her side as she smiled at him. And suddenly, he could feel heat provoke his body, and he thought to himself: Sakura would never know the effect she had on people, he thought wistfully.

Sometimes she held that faraway, distant and almost dreamy look on her eyes. As if she wasn't really there, and Neji wanted nothing more then to pull her back to reality-afraid that she was ready to be whisked away from her own, mental illusion that sprouted on the cracks of her brain. In a way, she was a tragic heroine of her own story she weaves-once a broken, scarred girl with such wide, scared eyes. And now, here she stood, a proud shadow and a fragment of her old self, a substitute Hokage and scarecely 18.

"I never had grabbed the oppurtunity to tell you this..." she began, chewing her bottom lip. Neji stared at her, his heart thudding in such a fast pace, it wrecked havoc of him breathing, thus leading his lungs to be non-existent. She caught his transfixed stare, and smiled gently at him in a way that made his pulse quicken. "Thank you, thank you for staying by my side when I had nobody" her voice slightly croaked, and she looked so frail Neji gently grabbed her shoulders.

"I'll always be here" he whispered softly. That was all it took for her to cry softly, tears pouring down as droplets of it splashed on the rough ground. His thumb carressed her eyes, and his heart was beating so loudly he could hear it-screaming in his ears. Sakura wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, catching him off guard as he could feel her face burried deep inside his chest.

He could feel her now, a small, frail human that could cause so much destruction inside his large arms-crying softly as she tilted her head upwards to stare at his white eyes. And she smiled ever so softly, brushing strands of his hair before she leaned in to whisper on his ear.

"Thank you"

* * *

He could feel it, his heart throbbing against his chest. His large, black cloak patterned with red clouds billowed around him like a large cape, floating in the breeze as he outstretched a trembling hand and placed it in his chest. His crimson eyes darted around, before he vanished in a whirl of red smoke that vanished in the air. After witnessing her being so intimate to those silly boys, Obito felt enraged.

But it wasn't her fault. If only she could remember. Remember the man she loved that was in him, she had breathed life into him, grew rose buds on the cracks of his shattered heart and gave him hope. Until she vanished again, just like Rin had, and left him alone again-growing insane with every passing minute and second. His yearning for her developed, and he still viewed her as the young child that haunted his dreams.

But his plan would work. She would be with him once again. Together, in their ivory tower in a beautiful place, where the horrors of the world couldn't even give them a first glance. She had progressed so beautifully, from a small child to being substitute Hokage. He could feel a burning pride for her, and wanted nothing more then to tell her. His desperation was growing, growing like the seeds she had planted on his heart.

"Sakura..." he whispered, before he spun around, his orange mask illuminated by the pale light of the candles.

* * *

Her soft footsteps were hushed by the thick, soft sand beneath her as she picked up grains of it. It slipped through her fingers, falling on the ground as Chiyo stared out into the open space. The sun was bright, wilting anything fragile on the spot with it's beautiful, majestic rays. A bit like Sakura, she thought with a slight chuckle. After Sakura's declaration, action had taken place and Chiyo found herself in the outskirts of Suna, with Baki's team guarding the place for any signs of Itachi.

Her old eyes narrowed into slits at the thought of the Uchiha male. She was frightened, frightened for Gaara's safety, Suna's and Sakura's. But she couldn't show her fear, she had a role to play, a facade, a mask until the whole, nerve-racking ordeal was over. Chiyo dusted her dirty fingers with her clothes, staring at the open space as Baki approached her and stood by her side.

"She is quite remarkable, only thirteen and a substitute Hokage" Baki said, obviously referring to Sakura. Chiyo smirked, staring out into the open space. "And soon to become a legendary woman" she added, her tone proud. Though Sakura was only her student for two months, when she grew up and became a proud shinobi, a prodigy of her generation-at least she could say she had taught the Haruno Sakura.

"Sakura is special. Any idiot could tell she was something rare from a distance" Chiyo retorted. Baki gave out a slight chuckle. "But it seems like she attracts rather curios attention, don't you think?" Baki asked. Chiyo narrowed her eyes, glancing at Baki with obvious disdain. "What do you mean?" she asked curtly, her short hair floating around her face as a breeze came past.

"It seems like when she stepped here, that unknown man spreaded a virus. Now it's a missing-nin. It also seems like she's quite close to that Hyuuga boy and Gaara-san" Baki implied. Chiyo scoffed. "So your saying that Sakura had something to do with the virus and this missing-nin? To appear great and for her village to have a good reputation and impression on us?" Chiyo asked, her voice slightly rising. She had grown fond of Sakura and her curious ways, and strived to protect the girl if anybody even breathed an insult to her.

"Calm down, Chiyo-sama. I'm just being careful, she is quite cunning if she's the substitute Hokage, and only thirteen" Baki said, growing a bit nervous at Chiyo's rather scary glare. Chiyo sniffed, knowing she had won the arguement. Chiyo spun around and left, leaving a dumb-founded and slightly frightened Baki behind to gaze at her retreating form.

* * *

Sakura brushed a strand of her hair away, sweat plastering on her skull before she released a chorus of battle cries and lunged forward. She effortlessly glided past Kankarou's puppets, killing them all in one, swift strike before standing on a ground full of broken, battered pieces of wooden puppets. Kankarou grumbled at the sight, sighing as he began to pick the discarded pieces of the wooden parts of his once-beautiful puppets.

"Thanks" she said, sitting beside Neji as she puffed her cheeks and sighed. The heat was unbearable now, sweat coating her skin like thick icing and in a moment of desperation, Sakura opened the zipper half-way of her jumpsuit to reveal a thin, black strappy top with a fishnet top underneath. The cool, chilly air was satisfying and she stretched her muscles, her hair in a tight, high ponytail with her two bangs framing her face.

Her top lifted ever so slightly to show her toned muscles and thin waist as she sighed deeply. Every fibre of her body was tired from the intense training with Kankarou's endless puppets. He had thrown a whole army of them at her, but being Haruno Sakura, she defeated them easily enough. There were several bruises evident on her smooth skin, just a small scar on her ribcage and her concealment jutsu over the seal on her stomach.

Sakura stepped in the middle of the training grounds, closing her eyes as she raised a palm out slowly. Kankarou took a step back, watching nervously as Gaara appeared and stood next to Neji. A long, elegant thick black tail escaped from her hand, swirling around the puppet mess on the floor as it seemed to absorb the wooden splinters, before everything vanished in a swirl of black petals and rushed back inside her palm.

Her eyes open, revealing a striking blue before it transformed back into a virdian green. The training grounds were silent, hushed as she met their awe-struck faces and smiled. It seemed like every time she used the Jubi's powerful techniques, Yomi and her were one, fused together and it was like they were connected, doing the same things with Jubi in the background. She glad for Yomi's assistance, and was fed with the information that it was level two sacrifice. Level one was when she, Yomi and Jubi fused together in perfect harmony.

"Yes!" Kankarou cried, dropping the wooden bits into the bin as he came to the realization that he didn't need to clean up anymore. Sakura laughed, shaking her bare shoulders as she met the gazes of Gaara and Neji. She didn't feel like answering any questions, so she pretended as if nothing had happened. Now was not the time to give them a lecture about the mysteries of Yin and Yang fusing together to do such powerful jutsus.

The same jutsu she had used could absorb anything. Armies, mountains and sometimes, even wipe out a whole village. The thought provoked her, that she was capable of doing such destructive things. And all of the destruction took was just one swipe of the Jubi's long tail. It seemed like everytime Sakura fell asleep, she was brought to another world where Yomi could teach her the many fascinations of possessing himself and Jubi. It excited her, all the new information she had to digest and use the next day.

Her stomach growled, and Sakura turned a scarlet red as she laughed in embarrasment. Gaara and Neji smirked at her, and she grumbled before zipping up her jumpsuit and strapping the katana on her back. In truth, both of them were shocked at her display of such power and control-it took all of their might just to act normal, as if she done it every day. Sakura always had that effect on people, revealing the other side of her, the powerful side that displayed her as the substitute Hokage and a powerful, provoking girl that was full of surprises.

"Treat me to lunch?" Sakura asked hopefully. Gaara and Neji searched for their wallets in unison, and she could only grin before slipping on her fingerless black gloves. She let her ponytail loose, her pastel hued hair cascading down her shoulders like melted pink gold across her body. It had grown, covering half of her back and it made her look younger in a way. Neji could still vaguely remember the days when her hair didn't even reach her shoulders, and now it spilled across her body like a blanket.

She exited the training building with Gaara and Neji beside her. Suddenly, a powerful force tore her flesh apart from within, and Sakura stood still until her body gave way and she collapsed on the floor.

* * *

The first thing she saw was a cloudless, mauve sky tinged in lilac at the edges and streaks of vibrant purple. She was sitting on a boat, floating on a murky lake with trees that held dusty colored purple leaves and plumes. Lilac smoke billowed from the tip of the boat, and suddenly-water figures of beautiful girls wearing white masks began to dance on the water with grace and balance. Sakura stared at the place in mixture and awe, realizing that she was in the palace's many water gardens.

Yomi appeared beside her, clad in black with an elegant, sweeping cape. His crimson eyes stared at his surroundings, nodding his head in satisfaction as a marble, thin oar appeared on his grasp and he began to float the boat. Sakura smiled at the sight, noting she was wearing a pale lilac dress with purple cherry blossoms stitched in gold thread, and she stroked the fabric in fascination and wonder.

It seemed like the Jubi had such beautiful thoughts, because the whole illusion was in his brain. Sakura found it fascinating how one so ugly and ghastly could have such a beautiful mind full of exotic places that took her breath away. No matter how many times she had been brought in his world, Sakura would never get used to the sights and awe of the places she visited. And then she saw it, the floating golden palace in the sky, so strikingly beautiful and vivid.

She held her breath, feeling the boat lift from the water as it floated in the air and traveled to the golden palace. She smiled, watching as golden nymph statues came alive and danced when she stepped inside the fringes of the golden palace. "Jubi loves outdoing himself, doesn't he?" she said, chuckling as her fingers stroked the marble, majestic pillars that stretched above her in an impossible height.

The dome was high, entirely made of glass with a golden chandelier in the middle. The entrance hallway was grand and vast, full of statues and priceless ornaments with a grand pair of marble double doors at the end. Their footsteps were hushed by the ankle deep, plush carpet that they effortlessly glided through, until the doors opened that revealed the throne room. Sakura smiled, her eyes staring at her beautiful surrondings as a dreamy sigh escaped from her lips.

"Everything is perfect" she murmured. The ceiling was hung by a million lights, so bright that they could be mistaken for stars. The pathway to the throne was made of water, a golden boat placed in the side with a marble oar. Stretched above the throne was a grand, ivory tower that held the Jubi's precious heart, and was protected by a million samurais that would appear when danger lurked in the background.

It seemed like every room she visited was always different, always changing. It was as if every time she exited a room, the furniture would move accordingly and be placed in another fashion. But whenever it did change, it changed beautifully, always more extravagant then the last. The palace was every Emperor's dream, littered with such treasure that not even a group of cunning criminals could ever dare to steal such ornaments.

And it was all hers. Every single thing in here was hers to keep.

Suddenly, thin ropes wrapped around her wrists and ankles, being carried by a phoenix that she met perched up in her throne. Yomi had told her that the Jubi transformed into many things, and transforming into a phoenix was something he was fond of doing. The phoenix's wings seemed to flare like fire, burning anything that it touched. She was flying now, gasping as the ceiling seemed to crash down and she flew across the mauve colored sky.

From here, she had a spectacular view of every water garden, split into majestic waterfalls or grand bridges that were gilded in marble. It was never ending, surronding the ground while the floating palace stood midair with a waterfall at the side, thrusting down as the never-ending water supply for each water garden. A flock of ivory white birds flew past, creating melodious sounds before disappearing through the clouds.

The birds released their grip, and a strong pair of arms caught her as Yomi brought her down to a gazebo heavily draped in cherry blossoms. Around them was another water garden, full of mini boats that were full of sparkling lanterns. The air was fueled with the scent of plumes and apples, and Sakura exhaled the heavenly scent before Yomi gave her a bowl of fresh, delicious fruit. Sakura took an apple, biting into it as the flavor exploded inside her tongue and sent waves of pleasure crashing down on her.

"Jubi has an exquisite imagination. Everything here is his art" Yomi said, breaking the silence. Sakura smiled-maybe she had underestimated Jubi after all. He had the power to create such beautiful things. She wanted to thank him, but what could she give to him in return when he had given her the world? Sakura could only give him appreciation through words, and nothing more. Yomi noted her frown, and he smiled gently at her thoughts. In here, Yomi had access to all her thoughts. At first, she was troubled by it, but grew to get used to the fact that he could read her mind. Besides, Yomi was a part of her.

"You can thank him by using his jutsus. He will be quite pleased, I suppose" Yomi began. Sakura's eyes lit up, a dazzling emerald green as she nodded her head. If only she knew, he thought wistfully as he gazed out into the background. If only she knew her true past. Jubi had the gift of retrieving forgotten memories, and when he had told Yomi Sakura's past, he was shocked and bewildered.

No wonder Jubi thought she was the ultimate vessel. He had been mean to her at the beginning, simply to test her-and now, Jubi had warmed up to Sakura, creating such fantastic illusions for her. Yomi told Sakura this, and he could see her eyes soften as she murmured a soft thank you under her breath. Suddenly, figures of masked ladies appeared, dancing in the air with pointed toes, moving so gracefully and so swiftly it was like the air had come alive into breathing humans.

Sakura watched, in wonder at the beauty. She was so struck by everything, that her eyes became dewy and fresh tears started to escape from her eyes. Everything moved her to tears, from the wonder to the beauty and the exotic water gardens and the golden palace. It became to much for her, and she really could not show her appreciation except for words and tears. And it seemed like time stood still, for the pheonix flapped his wings in front of her, and transformed into a strikingly handsome man covered in flames.

His hands cupped her face, and her tears were wiped by his kind fingers. And she knew, she knew that maybe monsters had a heart. For this monster had shown her compassion and gave her sympathy through striking illusions. Jubi waved his fingers in the air, and everything turned a vivid black.

* * *

Neji's heart slowed to an ease when Sakura sat up from her bed, cheeks flushed with a smile evident on her face. She radiated child-like innocence from her, an auro that he found beautiful. She stood up, completely unaware that she had blacked out but looked rather dazed, confused and delighted at the whole prospect. Gaara stood up, his concern wavering as she smiled at him in a way that made his stomach churn and cheeks warm.

"Sorry, I was just really tired" she said in a slightly, sheepish voice. Gaara's concern faded at the spot as he nodded his head, noticing the slight change of her skin tone. It was slightly flushed, cheeks tainted a delicate shade of light pink. Her face scrunched up a bit, crumbling like a piece of paper as she re-found her hunger. Neji rolled her eyes, standing up as he tossed her a couple of money. She caught it, smiling at him.

"Come on, I'm starving" Sakura said, laughing before running out of her hotel room. Gaara and Neji exchanged glances, before trailing behind her. They heard her soft footsteps echo down the hallway, and they quickened their paces. They eventually caught up with her, finding her buying three pieces of dango as she gave two of them to Gaara and Neji. They declined, knowing very well that Sakura never even intended to share.

They strolled down a clear path, watching as the sun set down, casting streaks of lilac, rose gold, orange and a tinge of blue. It was a palette of colours, with fluffy clouds that had the sun's rays sprouting on the gaps. Sakura vividly remember when she had woken up to find a mauve sky, and a dreamy sigh escaped from her lips as she stopped to gaze at the spectrum of wonderful colors.

* * *

A/N: The scene where Sakura wakes up to find mauve skies, lilac smoke and purple trees? That was inspired by the music video Wonder by Emeli Sande and Naughty Boy. I get inspired by things I see, and that scene was so breath-taking I had to write it down. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and so sorry it took ages to upload but I've been working on Wattpad a lot lately. I've changed my writing style, maybe due to the beautiful stories on Wattpad, but I want to write in such fantastic, beautiful detail.

Tell me what you think and please review and press like! It would really make my day xxx


	26. Chapter 26

His crimson eyes stared at the moon which was at it's highest point now, shimmering and he could picture a pair of brass gold gates, flung open as he would release a demon into this world that would wipe it slate clean. Once, he thought that his plan would work melodiously, not out of tune but in perfect harmony. Until he met her, and he found out his plan would be futile-so in a midst of great displeasure, he changed the whole plan. He would rewrite history.

For her. Only her.

If it meant whisking her away and locking her back in the ivory tower, he would gladly do so. He would do anything, grasp that oppurtunity before anyone else could interrupt and whisk her away to another world. Another generation of innocence, of long, endless summers in the ivory tower where Obito could feel loved by the girl who saw the human past his orange mask. In a way, she reminded him so much of Rin, but Sakura was sharper-more edgy, unique.

Her name could not be forgotten. It was imprinted on his wrist, his mind and his heart. And very soon, her blood would fuse with his and she would be his. She would belong to him, and everything would be peaceful. If only he could get rid of those silly, stupid boys that surronded her constantly.

Until then, he'd just wait.

* * *

A flood of sunlight drowned inside her hotel room, and her body shifted ever so slightly before she threw the blanket away-revealing her clad only in a black top and red shorts. Sakura yawned, rubbing her eyes as her eyes darted at her room, immaculately neat except for the desk area-which was drowning in neglected paperwork. Sakura wondered how Tsunade could do her paperwork without eventually having a mental breakdown.

She quickly got dressed, slipping on her boots before grabbing the katana and putting on her fingerless gloves. Outside, she saw Neji, groomed and clean as he quirked a brow at her dishevelled state. She scowled, smoothing the crumpled red fabric before tying her hair in a high ponytail. They headed outside in a haste, since a meeting was starting in fifteen minutes-they had no choice but to buy some dango and hope for the best it fed their hungry stomachs.

"Sorry, overslept" Sakura muttered sheepishly. Neji rolled his eyes-it was bound to happen, he thought dryly as they entered the meeting building. Here, Sakura stiffened before putting on her Hokage robes and sitting on the wooden chair opposite to the council head. Beside the elderly man sat Gaara, who gave her a ghost of a smile. Sakura smiled at him, before any traces of her real self vanished. It was replaced by a stiff, stern facade she wore.

It fascinated Gaara and Neji to no end how she can seem so full of life, and when she steps inside the meeting hall-it was as if she put on a mask, and played a role of a stern yet succesful leader. It was hard to see a child-like girl such as her as a substitute Hokage.

"Daily updates" the council head began, clearing his throat. Baki and Chiyo nodded, standing up in unison. Chiyo cleared her throat, short, cropped hair tucked behind two ears peeking through a mass of her hair. "The missing-nin has vanished, without a trace. But guards are still up in case he decides to make an appearance again" she said in a grave tone. It seemed like the council breathed a sigh of relief, and Gaara gave Sakura a suspicious look who smiled at him.

"Tell us, Hokage-sama, do you have anything to do with this?" the council head asked as he noticed the glances Gaara have her. Sakura smiled as she shook her head, laughing gently as she ignored the shocked face of Gaara. "None at all, council head. Credit goes to Gaara" she said, and Gaara's cheeks were tinted with the palest of pinks, as he looked away. The council complimented him, and he clenched his jaw before giving Sakura a look.

But it was true. Gaara had worked tirelessly, devotion and passion poured into one to track down the missing-nin. After twelve hours of hard work, he had worked it out. He had the evidence to support her accusation that it was Itachi, and she was proud of him. The meeting ended shortly afterwards, and Sakura was happy that the daily meetings had ended. No more for the daily updates, she thought with a satisfied expression.

As they filed out of the meeting building, Gaara grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him, and she grinned at him-the Hokage robes long gone as it revealed her red jumpsuit. "Why did you say that?" he asked. Sakura smiled softly at him, leaning ever so slightly as she smiled.

"You worked hard, Gaara. You worked hard for your respect, so I gave you it" she whispered.

* * *

Chiyo watched as the three silhouettes of Gaara, Sakura and Neji vanished before her lips quirked into a smile. Any of them were barely eighteen, and already they were attending meetings. She sighed, watching from the window as people passed through the streets with a fond smile evident on her face. It was amazing how kids grew up so fast these days, bred into a world full of kills, yet some remain with their innocence intact.

She found it slightly disturbing. How one could kill, and remain so oblivious to the whole world around them. She shuddered ever so slightly, the lines on her forehead deepening as she sighed and dropped her gaze. It was rather disgusting, how children were forced to fight wars while cowardly leaders fleed in golden palaces. But Sakura wasn't like that, she thought fiercely. Sakura was the type of person who would personally make sure children and villagers were a world away from war.

She spun around, walking down the flight of stairs of the meeting hall before stepping out of the building. Sakura's stay in Suna was nearing to an end, with only two more weeks to go and she was gone. Chiyo felt a yearning for her now-what was she going to do with all those afternoons? She would greatly miss their training sessions, and already, Sakura was excelling Chiyo in greater fields.

The fresh air threaded inside her robes and Chiyo sighed at the feeling of cool air on her warm skin. She trudged towards the poison factory, staring at the building as she caught sight of the greenhouse. Her training sessions with Sakura would start in thirty minutes, and she wondered what to do to fill in the gap. Chiyo sighed, tucking a strand of her short, silver hair before entering the building.

The thought of climbing up the endless flight of stairs displeased her, and she cursed her old, weak legs as she picked up her robes and began to walk. Chiyo wondered if she should throw a small party the day before Sakura's departure, and smiled when she vividly remembered the party of Gaara's announcement to be the next Kazekage. Sakura had looked so breathtaking, so beautiful and dazzling nobody could take their eyes off her.

Chiyo would greatly miss her temporary student. Sakura was like a rough jewel, and Chiyo had the great pleasure of polishing parts of her. She could only wish the greatest future and another good mentor for Sakura, who deserved the best for her hard work and dedication. She pushed past the glass doors, walking down the empty corridor before climbing up another flight of stairs. Her footsteps smashed against the concrete floor, the soles of her brown shoes sliding across a curved stair as she felt her foot slip.

Her thin lips parted, releasing a shrill cry as her old, withered body fell backwards and landed on the ground.

* * *

"Oh-shit, is she going to be okay?" Sakura asked, her voice croaked and broken. She looked like she was on the verge of collapsing into tears, and franticaly pacing around the waiting room. Neji and Gaara tried to soothe her, but she pushed past them and ran towards the hospital room where Chiyo lay. Baki appeared, standing in front of Chiyo's room as Sakura's face hardened, and she gritted her teeth.

"I'm sure Chiyo-san will want some rest" Baki said in a stable, firm voice. Sakura glared at him, clutching her black katana as they exchanged cold, challenging stares. She knew that Baki was suspicious of her, in a way that frustrated her. How was she suspicious anyway? the thought was ridicolous, but nonetheless she respected Baki for being wary of her existence anyway. Sakura gritted her teeth, nodding her head wordlessly as she bit her tongue to prevent her from saying an insult.

It was tempting really, to punish Baki since she was the substitute Hokage after all. But Sakura had to be the bigger person, she had to restrain herself. She chewed her bottom lip, brows furrowed with a frown evident on her face as she pushed past Neji and Gaara. She had to get out of here before she would lose it and have some sort of fight with Baki. Sakura opened the doors, running down the flight of stairs as she glared at everybody who dared meet her eye.

How dare Baki order her! she thought furiosly. Did Baki forget who she was? She was the substitute Hokage for god's sake. Sure, she wasn't decked in the Hokage robes but she still had the title. His underestimating me, Sakura thought as she fumed. She loathed being underestimated-Sakura was not just a girl with silly pink hair and a black katana. Sometimes, just sometimes she felt like screaming to the world she was the vessel of the long-lost Ten Tails. And then, they'd never underestimate her.

She exhaled sharply, stumbling on an alleyway as she slumped to the wall, trying to calm her thundering heart. Sakura looked up at the cloudless sky, her grip on her clothes loosening as her arms fell beside her. Sakura sighed, looking at her lap as she rubbed the nape of her neck. Maybe she had been foolish-maybe Chiyo did need rest, maybe Baki knew better because he was after all more experienced then her. Years had fashioned him into knowing things she had yet to know.

"You okay?" Neji asked, his shadow stretching over her hunched form. Sakura didn't respond, instead she grasped his hand and pulled herself up, dusting off the dirt from her clothes as she puffed her cheeks. Gaara appeared, looking worried as he noted her slightly dishevelled appearance and flushed cheeks. Sakura was rather dissappointed that her training session was cancelled due to Chiyo's accident. But she couldn't blame it on her mentor-no matter how strong Chiyo was, she lacked physical strength.

Sakura needed to be alone, for a few hours. She couldn't deal with anybody's company, no matter how quiet Neji and Gaara was. She needed some space and time to think intensely, and not to be disturbed. "Hey...I'm just heading out, need some space" she said, before vanishing in a swirl of black petals leaving two confused boys who stared at the spot where she had been.

* * *

She was running, running so fast she everything was a blur of colours. The sand beneath her was left untouched, for she was running so fast her footprints weren't even marked on the grains of soft, thick sand. Her heart was beating, out of tune and so fast she was afraid it would leap out of her chest and the protection of her rib cage. She didn't know why she was running, Sakura had just transported herself into an empty place in Suna, and began to run.

After seeing Lee running, she had been inspired to fuse speed, swiftness and strength into one which Yomi greatly approved of. Besides, after he had 'upgraded' her muscles and tissues, Sakura was stronger now. She was fast-quick and swift enough to even beat Lee to a race. Slowly, she stopped into a halt and collapsed to the soft ground, noting at she was in the outskirts of town and Suna was nothing but a small dot in her vision.

Sakura closed her eyes, feeling a breeze come past as the sand swirled and plastered on her sweaty skin. Her breaths were long and shallow, fanning her exposed neck as she pushed herself up and opened half of her jumpsuit, revealing a white, thin top as she sighed warily, pinching the bridge of her nose. Running enabled her to think, thoughts running as fast as her legs and swirling past her eyes in patterns. Words stumbling, before separating into perfect sentences.

Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, and much to her surprise had not fallen out yet. Sakura's shiny headband shone against the harsh light of the sunlight, and she rubbed her neck before sighing. It was so peaceful here-in the midst of a calm, empty dessert with grains of endless sand as far as the eye could see. It was the perfect place to meditate, so as Sakura sunk to the ground and crossed her legs-her heavy eyelids shut and she was whisked away in another land.

And slowly, a pair of crimson eyes opened in the distance.

* * *

Yet again, the water gardens continued to take her breath away.

The minute she opened her eyes, Sakura found herself laying in a soft bed with a gilded canopy and feathered pillows. The bed was floating in the water, with candles in small, clustered groups floating on the water with canvas paper beneath it. There were a million fireflies, lighting up the jade colored sky full of white, rose tinged clouds. Sakura held her breath, watching as some sort of creature started to near the water's surface, before it broke it completely and flew to the sky.

It was a water dragon, flying in the sky with it's beautiful scales highlighted by the large, mauve moon. It's eyes shone like stars, and it's sharp fangs looked like a prized knife of a king. Sakura instantly knew it was Jubi, and smiled as it circled around her bed. Yomi appeared in a swirl of stars, bowing low as his majestic, trademark cape swished around her. Jubi's head rested on her lap, and Sakura stroked his beautiful scales lovingly.

"Do you seek an escape?" Yomi asked. Sakura met his gaze through her thick lashes and nodded her head. The boat started to float in the air, and Sakura smiled excitedly at the sight of Yomi's strange, mysterious smile. The boat entered another water garden, full of tall, skinny trees with lilac leaves and murky waters with water dragons constantly sprouting from the water to fly upwards to the beautiful sky.

She smiled, feeling peace in her heart as her fingers brushed against the water. At the connection of the water and her fingers, it left some sort of glitter in her hands that transformed into melted gold. Jubi was sprawled across her bed, laying around her in a protective fashion as the bed idly floated in the air. Amongst the tight group of trees, Sakura could see the floating palace-as big as a large, sparkling city connected by corridors and unexpected entrances.

The forest water garden neared to an end, with a waterfall at the end as the bed once again floated. Sakura watched earnestly as they neared the majestic, exquisite golden palace. At the side of the palace, there was a waterfall full of sparkling blue water, gushing down on the endless valleys full of water gardens as the main water supply. She smiled at the strange greeting of the golden nymph statues that started to dance, before freezing as she broke their gazes.

Jubi was slithering through the air, his elegant body stretching and twisting through large pillars until they passed through endless corridors full of splendid rooms, and ended in the throne room. The double doors opened, revealing a newly furnished throne room full of a hundred stars swirling around their ankles. There was the throne, with the ivory tower that held the Jubi's beating heart inside the protective walls.

Sakura made her way towards the throne, the stars parting to make a clear path before she sat down on the throne. A golden crown appeared on her head, with ten golden tails and a large emerald in the middle. In the seat, she felt like she could do anything she wanted. Anything with the Jubi around her and Yomi standing beside her. They were bound to her, a part of her heart. She had grown fond of Yomi and Jubi, and loved them dearly as father-like figures who guided her.

"Do you like it, Gaia?" Yomi asked. Sakura grinned, nodding her head as she stared at her surrondings. The walls were covered with tall trees with large, soft green leaves. The ceiling was entirely made of glass, lit by a single, golden chandelier. The stars on the floor were enough light, she mused as Sakura stroked the bejewelled throne. She stared at the priceless ornaments, the plush rugs and the sweet smelling roses but frowned.

The room was splended. Breath-taking. But it gave her no peace, no sense of calm at all. Yomi and Jubi sensed her discomfort, and looked unsatisfied with the whole thing as the Jubi rested his head on her shoulder. She could feel his breath tickling her neck, and she stroked his scales. "I want a simple room. Nothing fancy at all-I just want to...think and have space" Sakura struggled with the words. The last thing she wanted was to sound ungrateful.

Yomi understood, nodding with a smile on his face before he clicked his fingers. Sakura's felt her eyes close for the briefest moment before they fluttered open, and she found herself sitting on a floating boat in a spectacular water garden. It was simple, but in her eyes it was beautiful and vivid, a palette of colours with a crystal clear water. "The palace and the water gardens are not simple, Gaia. They were designed elaborately in Jubi's mind, which is far from simple" Yomi said, flashing her a smile.

Sakura smiled, stroking Jubi as she laid down on the boat, staring at the indigo coloured sky with slight aqua-coloured streaks. Her chest rose and fell, the hours passing by, unnoticed. In the comfort of Jubi's exquisite illusions, time was forgotten. Merely useless numbers. So Sakura had no track of how many hours had passed, until Yomi stroked her hair and everything turned black.

* * *

Neji sat on the chair, staring into space inside his hotel room before there was a soft knock. He stood up, and opened the door to meet Sakura's gaze as she smiled at him, leaning against the door frame, her shoulders lazily slumped to the side. "Meeting" he said, and she groaned in annoyance, throwing her hands in the air. Neji gave out a dry chuckle, glad that she was back to her normal self and wondered where she had been in the past few hours.

He had grown worried, thinking about the worst possible scenarios in his head. But he always brushed it off-Sakura was strong to take care of herself, stronger then him and Gaara combined. Neji knew that she always held back when she fought-and always imagined a great battle if she didn't hold back. Then there would be a war, he thought dryly as they exited the hotel and made their way towards the meeting building.

"Where did you go?" he asked. Sakura hesitated, before glancing at him with a small, mysterious smile. "Somewhere safe, so don't worry Neji" she said in a light tone. Neji was startled that he had been caught, since he had tried to mask his worry with an impassive face. Sakura knew him to well though, and for that he was slightly happy. "After the meeting, were going to visit the library. I need to study and then we'll go visit Chiyo" Sakura said in a firm, determined voice.

Neji instantly remembered when Baki had greatly displeased her, and smirked. It was so like Sakura to break the rules when she wasn't wearing the Hokage robes. But the minute her foot stepped inside the building, all traces of the Sakura he knew vanished on the spot and was replaced by a cold facade triggered at the sight of Baki's tall figure. She dressed in her Hokage robes, making her way to her wooden seat as the bell rang and the meeting began.

"So, why the sudden need to have a meeting?" Sakura asked, peering closely at the council head. He looked grave and sober, gone was his trademark pipe and was replaced by his lips dissappearing into a thin line. She instantly sensed something was wrong when the council head released a long, tired sigh. "It seems like this Uchiha Itachi is persistent" he said. Sakura froze, eyes wide as she tried to contain her rage.

"I thought...he was gone" she said weakly through gritted teeth, venom in her voice. The council head shook his head, sighing warily as he shuffled a couple of thin papers. "Not quite, Hokage-sama. He has left several clues and hints" he said in a tired voice. Sakura gave out a frustrated sigh, rubbing her temples as she willed herself to stay calm at these situations. Had Itachi not taken her threat personally? Was he underestimating her?

"What clues" she said sharply, her voice cold. The council head clicked his fingers, and Baki handed him several reports with photographs. He gave it to Sakura, who read through the reports with obvious disdain. It seemed like the clues Uchiha Itachi had left were several foot prints, blood and...hair? What the hell is he up to? she thought as she fought a growl. Inside, the Jubi and Yomi stirred awake from their slumber and hissed.

Gaara stared at her annoyed, spiteful face as she growled Itachi's name full of venom before standing up. "I shall need a team of tracker ninjas for this. I want to personally find out why the hell his here with some help" Sakura growled. The council head stood up, slamming his fist against the table. The rest of the people looked in shock and wonder as Sakura stared at him, her gaze challenging.

"And risk Gaara's safety? Are you foolish?!" the council head shouted. The council gasped at the insult, and Sakura merely gave out a dry chuckle as she shoved the reports inside her robe. "If I wasn't foolish, council head, I wouldn't have thought of this. And if Itachi Uchiha so much as breathed within 10 miles of Gaara, you can personally strip me off my title and tell it to Tsunade-sama" Sakura said, her voice confident. The council head stopped, before sighing as he slumped back to his seat.

Sakura grinned, knowing very well she had won the arguement before the bell rang and the meeting was over. She spun around, walking vigorously with Neji trying to catch up with her. With hasty fingers, she took off her Hokage robes and handed it to a Sand ninja, before grabbing Neji's sleeve and running out with the reports. Neji suddenly knew why Sakura wanted to go to the library, and stopped running.

"You knew this was going to happen" he breathed. Sakura gave him a look, and a smile graced her lips. Neji's eyes widened as he watched in fascination and admiration at her form. Once again, Haruno Sakura strikes, he thought dryly before managing to catch up with her. The library came to his vision, and they entered through the main entrance before taking a seat in a secluded corner of the library.

Sakura took out the reports, spreading them out as she read through them carefully. Neji picked up one report with a photograph of blood stains, and shuddered slightly before placing it back down. He sighed, staring warily at the reports as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He found new respect for the council-with chaos happening constantly, it was hard to keep track after a while. Neji watched as she made several anotations around the words, nodding her head with satisfaction as the minutes ticked by.

What seemed like forever but in reality twenty-five minutes, Sakura folded the reports cautiously before slipping it inside her pouch. Neji stood up, pulling her upwards before they headed outside of the library and towards the hospital. She hoped Baki wouldn't apppear around the corner, and gritted her teeth in annoyance at the memory of his rude interruption. Her blood boiled when she saw him in the waiting area, but avoiding his lingering gaze-Sakura walked past him before placing a hand on Chiyo's door knob.

"I'm sure Chiyo-san would like some rest" Baki said in a short, curt voice. Sakura fought back the urge to roll her eyes at the remark that he had used and gave him a cold, bitter look. "Do not order me around, Baki-san. I am sure you mean well, but I am the substitute Hokage and therefore a higher rank then you. Unless the law here is different, and where jounins are permitted to talk back to the Hokage and Kazekage, do tell me" Sakura retorted. Baki flushed a deep red, muttering a pathetic excuse before walking away.

Neji stared at her triumphant face with awe. At that moment did he realize she was, in fact, a grown girl. The language she spoke was the words of a wise woman, in a clipped voice that screamed of authority and rank. She twisted the door knob, stepping inside as she chewed her bottom lip nervously. Chiyo lay, eyes wide with a slightly amused expression on her old, withered face.

"You are quite bossy, aren't you Sakura?" she murmured in a dry tone. Sakura smirked, shutting the door behind her as Neji stood in the background, observing with his keen, silver eyes. Chiyo had eavesdropped on their conversation, and was rather shamelessly proud on how much Sakura had grown. She had dismissed Baki in an orderly fashion, and for that Chiyo praised her for not losing her short, fiery temper.

"I am sorry, it's just I was worried..." Sakura trailed off, rubbing her neck in a sheepish way that made Chiyo smile fondly. She was such a child at heart, she thought with amusement, but at times she was forced to act like a mature adult due to the fact that she was the substitute Hokage. Chiyo could only wish the headband on Sakura's bore the mark of Suna, so she could at least say a future legend came from her village. Oh, what a remarkable tale she could weave.

"Do not concern yourself because of me, Sakura. It was because of old age, and my tired, haggered body" Chiyo said dryly. Sakura chuckled deeply, sitting at the edge of the hospital bed as she traced the bedsheets with a finger. "Uchiha Itachi seems to be lurking around often, don't you think?" Sakura said, knowing very well that Baki had told her the news. Chiyo didn't respond, instead she looked away with a thunderous expression on her face.

"He is quite persistent. It angers me why he is here for no reason at all" Chiyo said in a bitter voice. Sakura nodded absentmindedly, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger as she sighed and looked at her lap. "Are you scared of him?" Chiyo suddenly asked. Sakura lifted her gaze to meet Chiyo's serious and grim expression, with lips tightly sealed and her silver hair curling at the edges of her exposed neck.

Sakura gave her a faint smirk, her eyes sparkling. "Of course not. I've fought him before" she said, shrugging her shoulders. Chiyo chuckled at her confident attitude and knew that Sakura was more then capable of holding a decent fight with Uchiha Itachi. The girl was strong, but she constantly held back-afraid that she might hurt the person too much. Uchiha Itachi would serve as a good opponent for her. Chiyo was never afraid of Sakura's safety nowadays, she showed that she was more capable of handling herself though she was just a child.

"So, how was the meeting?" Chiyo asked, all traces of her serious facade vanishing. Sakura sighed warily, looking tired with a sullen look as if somebody had drained all her energy. "Shocking. I took their reports of his whereabouts and such. A tracker team that I requested should be coming about-"

The door opened, interrupting her as Baki led a three man squad of grim, serious men clad in black with the Suna headband. Sakura smiled, jumping off the bed as she inspected the three man squad. After three minutes, she nodded her head in satisfaction.

"Meet me tomorrow in front of my hotel, 4:00 am sharp. Meanwhile, go home and do some research and maybe sleep" Sakura said, a hint of mystery in her voice. The squad looked confused for a breif second, before nodding as they marched outside. Chiyo gave her a dry look when they vanished, and she grinned at the woman. "Don't be too brutal and harsh on them, Sakura" Chiyo said in a care free voice. Sakura laughed, the sound cutting through the air like a knife.

Neji watched underneath his eyes, a ghost of a smile flickering on his mouth. "Don't worry, I have Neji and Gaara. They'll keep me sane" Sakura said, giving Neji a grin. Chiyo chuckled, tucking a strand of silver hair behind her small ears as she sighed. Outside, the sun was slowly vanishing into the horizon as it made golden streaks across the sky. It was quite a spectacular display, a palette of beautiful colours.

"We should be going. I shall visit you tomorrow, Chiyo" Sakura said warmly, before Neji and her stepped outside the room. The waiting area was half-empty now, and as they filed outside of the hospital through the main entrance, a shadow moved in a dark alleyway as it vanished in a swirl of black feathers.

* * *

The minute her body hit against the soft, plush bed-her whole world spun around her quickly, until it exploded into colours and left streaks of orange trickling down as the illusion appeared. Sakura blinked, finding herself laying on a large, swan's back-it's graceful neck dipping low into the water as Yomi appeared in front of her with Jubi in a form of a pheonix, perched bewitchingly on his slender finger. Sakura stared at them, before her eyes darted around her to stare at the new water garden.

The place held a rich odour of roses, and when the balmy breeze stirred amidst the mauve trees, an intoxicating scent of lilac reached her senses and engulfed her in euphoria. The swan moved, so it's graceful body shifted so Sakura could sit comfortably. She stroked the elegant neck of the delicate creature, admiring it's beauty and grace and the wonders of the water garden. There were large trees around them, with various rooms in the branches. Each tree was connected by a marble bridge, and everything held a whimsical beauty to it.

Sakura stared in wonder, feeling the pheonix curl up beside her as she swung an arm around it's beautiful body. The swan opened it's majestic wings, before slowly taking flight as they soared through the clouds towards the golden, floating palace with the sparkling waterfall at the side. It slid through the grand, main entrance before the swan settled down and Yomi stepped out-outstretching a hand as Sakura grabbed it and pulled herself out.

"So, where shall we go?" she asked earnestly, noticing that she was wearing a kimono the colour of fresh, pale pink and delicate roses that had birds stitched in golden lace. She traced a finger over it, smiling fondly as she met the gaze of Yomi who gave her a mysterious smile. "We shall wander from room to room, Gaia. You'll be surprised at the conversations we make" Yomi simply said, leaving her gazing at his form in a state of confusion.

They stepped inside the palace, with Jubi perched on her shoulder and surprisingly, was indeed very light and careful with his sharp claws. It took a while for them to arrive at the heart of the palace, since it was so big and huge that one could simply get lost in it. Even Yomi had confessed that he and Jubi still did not know the palace fully-and they had been living in it for centuries upon centuries.

"What do you think of art?" Yomi asked as they stepped inside a spectacular art gallery. Sakura tore her gaze away from a piece of artwork that captivated her, and looked thoughtful for a second before she cleared her throat and began to speak. "I think art is something beautiful. Though I am not an artist, I can clearly see the perspective of the artist and how he views things on a canvas full of paints and such. The entire process itself is art-but of course, that is my opinion" she said. Yomi nodded, surprised by the choice of her sophisticated words as he smiled at her.

"The artist is the creator of beautiful things, it can reflect the artist of a person that has inspired him. I find an artist's mind beautiful and tragic in a way that makes me fawn over it like a mere child. Because an artist has the power to create ugly things, and see the beauty beneath the whole facade" Yomi replied. Sakura smiled at him, tracing a finger over an exquisite painting as she stepped back to have a look.

The art gallery has a vast section of half of the north wing of the golden palace. Every wall is covered in paintings, all holding such beauty and wonder it made her heart wrench with warmth and adoration. "Do you like the art gallery?" Yomi asked. Sakura nodded her head, eyes sparkling as a door appeared from the corner and they stepped inside to corridor full of a string of luxurious, beautiful rooms adorned in extravagant furnishings and priceless ornaments.

Sakura felt Jubi take flight, floating midair before he vanished and transformed into a miniture dragon, wrapping his graceful body around her neck loosely as his head curled in a way that made her smile fondly. She stroked it's soft scales before Yomi led her inside a parlour, with plush divans, mother-of-pearl tables full of priceless ornaments and jade silk curtains draped heavily across the large windows.

The walls were full of wooden, beautiful panels and paintings with a gilded mirror and a golden chandelier on the high ceiling. There was an entrance to the balcony that had majestic pillars, and the floor was so soft Sakura could drop and sleep on it in an instance. Everything was perfect and gilded, suited for an Empress and even a vain goddess. She sat on the divan, sinking into the silk cushions emboirded in golden lace as Jubi's body curled up next to her.

Yomi sat in front of her, looking sophisticated with an air of mystery as a thick cigar was held in his mouth loosely. He released a smell of grey smoke that smelt of vanilla, and she exhaled the scent sharply before tilting her head to the side.

"Do you enjoy silence?" Yomi asked, his voice a low, velvet that was such a melodious tune. Sakura stroked the finery of the silk fabric, lifting her gaze to met his as she smiled. "I enjoy a peaceful silence, but loathe a tense and grim silence like the type of quiet that is held during funerals and such" she said. Yomi nodded his head wordlessly, the cigar dissappearing from his lips as a masked lady appeared and gave him a goblet full of ruby red wine. He sipped it before placing it down on the smooth surface of the mahogany table.

"I find it rather enjoyable-a tense silence or an awkward one. It is not me who squirms or cries and such, I am the person who just sits or stands there and digest the whole display of emotion and such" Yomi said simply. Sakura chuckled-she could never picture Yomi in a position where he is left at edge, full of nerves and beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Yomi would stay calm even if the whole world ended tomorrow. In fact, he'd probably enjoy the whole hysterical scenario.

"You are quite strange" Sakura said in a half-amused tone. Yomi gave out a short laugh, his deep voice ringing in her ears as his floor length hair curled around his body. "If I were not strange, one could not enjoy such illusions the Jubi weaves" he said, gesturing to his surrondings. "One doesn't need to be strange to appreciate such beauty, Yomi" Sakura remarked, her voice challenging as she gazed at him curiosly.

"Quite right, Gaia. Forgive me for my ignorant statement" Yomi said. Sakura chuckled, her pink tresses cascading down her shoulder like melted pink substance, coated in shine and glossy with soft curls at the end. She had noted that her hair had grown wavier, and could not help but pick up strands of her hair with her soft fingers. She sighed, staring warily out of the windows as the curtains automatically moved aside to show the sparkling endless valley full of water gardens.

From here, she could hear the gentle roar of the waterfall but it was like a distant note of an organ. She stood up, feeling the kimono move around her as she peered out and smiled at the sight of beautiful water gardens stretched as far as the eye could see. The sky was a deep mauve, with streaks of rose gold, orange, soft pink and the palest of blues splattered across it. It was like a palette of colours holding vibrant yet neutral colours.

"Yomi, take me back. I have a busy day ahead, I fear" she said dryly. Yomi chuckled behind her, placing a large hand on her shoulder before the whole world spun around her, in such marvelous colours that she couldn't help but drowsily smile until her body hit her bed and she was overwhelmed with sleep.

* * *

Gaara glared daggers at his reflection, at the sight of his tousled hair to the slight quirk of his lips and to his jade eyes. He never recalled caring for his image, never recalled standing in front of the mirror and hating his appearance. Once he had been arrogant and bloodthirsty, now he was humbled and touched by Naruto and Sakura's intoxicating comfort and care. But today, Gaara needed a distraction. A distraction from closing his eyes and sleeping, causing the Shukaku to ravage his body until he consumed him whole.

The mere thought terrified him so much it chilled him to the bone, making his entire body shudder in disgust and fear. Within him, the Shukaku laughed, the sound vibrating through the walls of his mind until the sound haunted him. Gaara sighed, dropping his gaze as he rubbed his bleary eyes and felt his shoulders slouch forward in a manner of tiredness. How badly he wanted to close his eyelids and sleep. How badly he wanted everything to disintegrate into black and fade away.

He spun around, opening the bathroom door as he made his way downstairs and out of his house, giving the open window of Temari's room one last look before strolling down the clear path of the village. A flood of sunlight engulfed him, seeping into the cracks of his heart as the sunlight offered sharpness to the buildings and more shadows. In the desert, one could see the sun in it's full glory. Majestic flames reaching out to offer you light.

"Gaara!" a shrill cry came, echoing through his veins as Gaara turned away slowly. He met Sakura's cheerful gaze, and behind her was a three man squad with Neji looking perfectly groomed as usual. Sakura stood in front of him, cheeks flushed as she lightly panted and smiled at him. "I'm tracking down Uchiha Itachi. I was wondering if you wanted to take part in it?" Sakura asked, hope etched in her voice.

It was only then that her anticipation and earnest could rival a child's, and in that thought-Gaara gave her a faint smile and nodded his head wordlessly, pleased that she had asked him first. Sakura smiled at him, tugging on Neji's wrist as she stopped in the middle of the path. "Alright, the squad will go out and search every alleyway, every street of Suna and come back-hopefully-with results. If anybody has vital information, or blood prints, I'll take it to the lab and try to trace whose blood it is" Sakura said in a serious voice, the child-like facade vanishing.

The squad nodded, separating as they sped through the streets until their figures vanished. Sakura sighed, glancing at Neji and Gaara as she smiled at them. "We'll go get some food, and then do it together" she said in a firm voice. The two boys nodded their heads in unison, and they slowly made their way to the nearest resturant around the corner. She tugged at both of their wrists, humming a soft tune underneath her breath before slipping inside a leather booth, sitting next to Gaara with Neji in front of her.

A sleepy waitress came to take their order, oblivious to the fact that she was speaking to the substitute Hokage, the future Kazekage and a Hyuuga prodigy-which greatly amused the three of them. It seemed like the world they lived in was so stern and strict, they found indulging themselves in simple pleasures a release and an escape.

"How is Chiyo?" Gaara asked. After hearing the accident that involved the fragile old and much respected lady, he had fretted during the training session. Last he heard that Sakura had visited her. "She's fine, coping really well. They say they can heal her fractured spine, but she'll be fine afterwards" Sakura said, smiling at him. Gaara nodded, satisfied with the answer as he chewed thoughtfully.

A pleasent silence was bestowed upon them as the sound of the cutlery was the only thing to fill the silence. Sakura enjoyed sharing these comfortable moments with Gaara and Neji-both such quiet people who could spark up an interesting conversation if she brought the right topic. "It's such a shame that my training sessions have been delayed, especially since my stay is nearing to an end" Sakura said mournfully, a frown in her face.

Gaara was struck that she only had nine days to stay in Suna. He clenched his fist-how badly he wanted her to stay. Temari-being Temari-would throw her a massive party, and then what? Will she ever visit again, or will he be a faded, forgotten memory inside her mind? Gaara despaired, feeling envy flicker within the depths of his heart when he thought that Neji was going back to Konoha with her.

"There is a festival. Come with me" Gaara blurted, before he could say anything. Sakura blinked-and Gaara thought he was going to be rejected when she laughed, such a melodious tune as she smiled at him excitedly. "Okay, but Neji's coming" she said happily, ruining his hope. But at least I get to see her, he thought in a bitter manner. Gaara and Neji caught eachother's challenging stare as Sakura stood up to order some water, before Neji tilted his head to the side in a mocking fashion.

"You like Sakura" he stated bluntly. Gaara glared daggers at him, feeling his cheeks colour as he growled-a sound that came from the back of his throat. "I don't think I'm the only one, Hyuuga" he replied, sneering. Neji gave him a cold stare, stabbing his steak violently as his blood boiled. Sakura returned, oblivious to the tension as she sat down and smiled at them happily. The anger died down quickly, and the tension lessened at her happy mood.

Never had Neji been so angry. It angered him to think that Sakura had 'other friends' apart from him. Naruto and Sasuke were fine-since it seemed like they were faraway. But Gaara? Sakura attracts the wrong attention, he thought warily. He had grown fond and overprotective of her, to the point where he adored her authority and happiness. He gave Gaara one last sneaky glare, before they stood in unison and filed out of the resturant.

As they stepped out, Sakura met the three man sqaud team with various mission reports in their hands. She thanked them, taking them before barking orders to all of them. Neji realized why she was pretending to be harsh-being the substitute Hokage, one must be firm and cruel. One must now be kind when there is danger, and must be ruthless during battle. Only when Sakura was with him and Gaara, was she the Sakura he knew and cared for.

But the Sakura that dressed grandly in Hokage robes with sharp, observing eyes and a thoughtful look in her face told him that she had another side to her. It struck him that she might possibly be bipolar-or just acting. Playing a role of a character she wasn't, but pretending to be nonetheless. She had accomplished so much in little time. Thirteen and already substitute Hokage. Thirteen and on her way to become a future legend whose face will be engraved in mountains and statues lined up in golden palaces.

A cool, balmy breeze came swirling past as it lifted strands of her hair. Sakura sighed, breathing in the cool air before smiling to herself. Neji watched her from the corner of his eye, fascinated on how she could put on a mask every time she stepped inside the building-a mask of a girl who was wise beyond her years.

* * *

He stared ahead, crimson eyes framed with thick lashes as his hand leapt out from the darkness. Blood dripped down on the floor from his finger tip, staining the dirty path as he looked around, a smirk playing his lips. Itachi took a step back, slowly closing his eyes before he vanished. A swirl of feathers came speeding past, caught amidst of the balmy breeze as Itachi re-appeared on a tall, mossy mountain from where he could see Suna.

Slowly, a form started to appear next to him. Itachi tensed ever so slightly, but kept his impassive face as Obito stared at him from the corner of his eye. "I heard your causing a stirr at Suna. Whatever for, Itachi?" he asked. Itachi didn't respond straight away, instead he turned around to stare at a large field full of thick forests-and beyond it was the Akatsuki's hideout where he would return, and hope every night that his brother would appear and kill him.

"Why?" Obito asked again, annoyed that he didn't respond quickly. Itachi avoided his lingering, piercing gaze-instead, he concentrated on the ring on Obito's finger. The ring was shabby, rusty with a slight silver tinge to it. He always wondered why Obito wore it-and decided that it was probably something precious of his.

"She is dangerous. A distraction to my brother, and I'll do anything to keep her distracted and away" Itachi whispered, before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

* * *

A/N: Took ages for this to upload! So sorry, with school and all that it is quite easy to get distracted. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please, please, please review!

Also, thank you to the many people who have reviewed. THANK YOU! I love all of you for your contribution. It's great motivation for me, by the way. If you have any questions or are confused about my story, please feel free to message me. But I won't reveal too much though :)

Bye!

-Girl of my Dreams


	27. Chapter 27

Sakura fell on the soft mattress, exhausted by today's events. It was late afternoon, and already her squad had found several blood stains and clues. Progression was slow, but it was working nonetheless. She slipped off her shoes, staring at the ceiling as her chest rose and fell heavily, pants escaping from her lips. Pulling herself up, she sat at the edge of her bed and raked a finger through her messy hair, the silence calming her beating heart as she fell backwards.

She had just been to the lab, spending hours upon hours investigating on blood stains that were plainly obvious it belonged to Uchiha Itachi. Sakura always wondered why he was here, this was Itachi for god's sake. He didn't cause a stirr for nothing. The criminal mind fascinated her so, full of cracks and new ideas sprouting on the edges of the mind. She found it wonderful and yet tragic in a strange way.

Because she knew why Itachi was doing these things. She just did. Growing up, she earned half of the knowledge of Yomi's and Jubi's. Such breath-taking information, filling her empty soul and brain with so many different stories. Sakura sighed, gently climbing on the bed before throwing the covers around her body. She deserved a break, at least. Closing her heavy eyelids, sleep deprived her body and Yomi gently whisked her away to their wonderland with his soft fingers.

* * *

What she saw next was unexpected.

Tall, metal buildings in strange twists. Rain pouring down heavily, causing the buildings to shine like polished knives. The city was full of these tall towers, either grotesque or beautiful. Never before had she seen such beauty in an ugly place. She was unaffected by the rain, as if she had something sheilding her very body from the rain that rushed down, colliding with the ground as it made several streams down the path.

It perplexed her greatly. She never knew that Jubi liked such illusions. He always liked extravagant things, beauty and nature rolled into one with the splendour of a golden palace. Maybe this was Yomi's work? Sakura thought as she wandered through dark alleyways. Her attire had changed, into a simple kimono with brown sparrows decorated at the hem. It confused her-Jubi and Yomi always had a strange habit on making her wear such beautiful clothing that could rival an Empress.

"Do you like it?" a voice said from behind. Sakura halted, turning around to meet Yomi with Jubi-in a shape of a pheonix-perched up in his shoulder. In the midst of steel grey buildings and such dark surrondings, Jubi shone like a sparkling sun amongst darkness. Sakura didn't know how to respond, instead she looked up to stare at the grey sky in wonder. There was something beautiful in the ugly city full of metal buildings. Something corrupt yet so tragic.

It seemed like every building had a story to tell. Not a trace of brown rust was seen, everything so immaculate and perfect. Even the rain that thrashed down violently, was a gentle pat on her skin and it looked distinctly like shining diamonds. Sakura didn't respond, struggling to find the words as she brushed past Yomi and looked around. Everything was so strange, buildings in loops and twists.

"What is this place?" she breathed, suddenly so entranced to find out. Yomi stood beside her, towering over her with his abnormally tall figure and elegant limbs. "This is the army of Jubi. These buildings aren't ordinary, Gaia. Look around you" he whispered. Before she could even utter a single breath, the buildings changed, twisting into tall figures until she was surronded by billions of metal soldiers, with gleaming violet eyes and hard armour. She held her breath, but her pulse quickened as she suddenly felt nervous.

"Why show me? This sort of thing displeases me. It shows me that there won't be peace any longer, that we will need to revive an army such as this to fight for reasons unknown" Sakura said bitterly, voice slightly croaked at the end. How she hated war, it displeased her greatly. It reminded her of a grey atmosphere, death lurking in the shadows, once proud soldiers fallen with blood stains on the rough ground. Sakura shuddered at the thought.

Yomi quirked a brow at her response, noticing how the pheonix seemed to flap his wings impatiently. The whole illusion changed, and Sakura found herself perched on top of a white horse, neighing softly as she stroked it's mane. Beside her, Yomi sat on such a gigantic ebony horse, making his figure even more taller then ever before. In her shoulder was the pheonix, radiating warmth into her body as she smiled.

"Why did you show me?" Sakura asked. Yomi didn't glance at her, instead he tilted his head upwards to stare at the crystal blue sky. "I was merely giving you a warning. At these dangerous times, a war could appear at any moment. And if it did, I and Jubi will waste no time to prepare our Bishamons" he replied. Sakura lifted a brow, giving him a curious stare. "You name your army Bishamon?" she inquired. Yomi nodded his head, picking up his reins as the horse proceeded into a steady gallop.

Sakura's horse did the same, the hooves hushed by the thick grass beneath them. The silence was bestowed upon them, until in a midst of a wanting need for exhilaration-Sakura released a low cry and the horse ran through the golden fields. Yomi quickly catched up, his floor-length hair caught in the wind like a cape. His real, black velvet cape was gone, revealing a burgundy-colored samurai outfit.

Yomi gave her a half-amused face, and Sakura gritted her teeth before speeding up. Allowing her chakra to flow into the horse's legs, it moved swiftly and faster then Yomi's horse. It suddenly halted, nearly sending her flying as the horse threw it's head back, terror in it's beautiful violet eyes. Sakura cried, gripping the reins as she stared at the thick forest, chest rising and falling. Yomi appeared beside her, glaring at the forest with such hatred it chilled her.

"This is the dark place of Jubi's illusions. A place where the devil sneers at Jubi's good side, and tramples on anything beautiful that reminds him of his ugliness" Yomi said in a thick voice. Sakura chewed her bottom lip, her brows furrowed. She never knew, that in a place so beautiful and so wonderful that Jubi even had a bad side. The pheonix on her shoulder was releasing soft cries now, pleas that she responded as she tugged on the reins and galloped softly towards the other direction.

Maybe every Wonderland had a dark place, she thought. Maybe she wasn't the only one fighting her own demons. The other side of Jubi's Wonderland held a dark place, a dark corner of his mind he tirelessly fights day and night to overcome. Maybe Yomi always has that, she thought softly as they neared towards a stream. There, she crouched low and cupped some water, splashing it into her face as the horse dipped it's head and gulped down the liquid eagerly.

Yomi was approaching them, his tall, ebony stallion beside him with it's golden eyes. He knelt down beside her, touching the water's surface softly as a golden goblet broke the surface, full of ruby red wine. He took it, sipped it before placing it on the water's surface as the water consumed it. Sakura watched with fascination, her impassive face concealing her great awe. Slowly, she touched the water. A golden goblet appeared, encrusted with rubies and full of green tea with a single diamond flower inside it.

"How beautiful" she murmured, sipping the tea. When she finished her drink, the diamond flower transformed into a butterfly before flying away. "That's a sign of good luck, Gaia" Yomi said, his crimson eyes staring at her form. She smiled at him, standing up as she noticed her sudden changed attire. Long gone was the simple kimono, replaced by a high black turtle-neck dress, with two large slits at the side and golden emboirdery on it. On her feet were burgundy boots, and lastly leather black gloves with golden cuffs.

Her face turned scarlet. Her attire clung to her body, revealing her toned figure as she desperately tried to find something to cover it up. As if answering her wishes, a ruby red cape appeared on the saddle of her horse, and she grabbed it earnestly before placing it around her.

"Ah, so you loathe clothes such as these?" Yomi asked, his fingers gently brushing against the black silk of her floor-length dress. "It's not that I like it. It's just a bit too mature for me" she replied with all honesty. Yomi nodded, clicking his fingers. The cape dropped to the floor, revealing a black silk kimono top, majestic birds and prints emboirded on it with golden thread. In addition, she was wearing knee-length black pants, with shoes that had golden buckles.

Sakura gathered the cape from the ground, throwing it over her horse's saddle as she gathered the reins and began to walk across the meadow. Here, she let loose of the horse before sitting beneath a great oak tree that towered around her, creating various shadows in different shapes due to it's long branches. Yomi sat beside her, his legs crossed with his posture remaining quite abrupt and alert. She wondered when was the last time he had let his guard down.

"What do you think of religion?" Yomi suddenly asked, breaking the silence. Sakura didn't glance at him, instead she replied with no hesitation at all. "It is just a substitute for Belief" she replied, not missing a beat as if she had been asked this question many times. Yomi quirked a brow, glancing up at the sky as he sighed.

"Love?" he asked again.

"An illusion" she replied more softly, a distant look in her eye. Yomi watched as she looked up, not flinching as the light streamed in and flooded the whole place. "Why?" he asked, suddenly fascinated as her eyes turned a startling sapphire blue. "Because it is a logic I cannot fathom or explain. Maybe when I grow older, but certainly not now" she whispered. The atmosphere changed, and Yomi suddenly noticed she was engulfed by nostalgia of memories of a faraway land and two boys who she cared deeply about.

Sakura watched as Yomi gently carresed the oak tree. It broke open, revealing a hole as he dipped his hand inside and took out a black and golden lacquered box, beautifully wrought with silken cords. She watched as he gently opened it, revealing a necklace with a simple, emerald gem in the middle. Slowly taking it out, he placed it around her neck. Sakura traced it, suddenly remembering Rin's mother's amber necklace.

A branch extended down below, it's delicate twigs holding the amber necklace as Sakura took it and thanked the oak tree. She placed it around her neck, so the emerald stone and the amber stone gleamed together in perfect harmony. Yomi's lips tugged at the edges, standing up as his figure towered on top of hers once again. Sakura sighed, looking wary as she was brutally reminded of the reality world she had to return to.

"Take me back, Yomi. It has been very pleasent, I must say" she whispered. Yomi nodded, clicking his fingers as the illusion vanished.

SPACE

After waiting for several moments, anticipation consumed Neji and he slowly opened Sakura's hotel room door. It opened, revealing her airy bedroom with her nestled deep inside the crisp covers of the mahogany canopy bed. He sighed with relief, knowing that Sakura was here-sleeping-and not in danger. He closed the door behind him, sitting down on the leather seat as his eyes scanned across the reports and papers on her desk.

He traced a finger over it, before he heard a soft moan and his body jerked. Sakura rose from bed, cheeks flushed as she noticed Neji and didn't seem perplexed by his sudden appearance inside her room. Instead, she slipped out of bed and yawned. The afternoon light flooded the room, and it was only then did Neji notice the two necklaces around her neck. His eyes stared at it, before his gaze met hers and she smiled at him.

Her eyes were dewy, as if it were freshly soaked with tears and the slight mishappen of her clothes. Her hands smoothed the fabric of her red jumpsuit, and she yawned again. "I apolagize for sleeping, Neji. I was tired before, but I'm fine now" she said. Neji nodded his head wordlessly, watching as she grabbed the katana from the corner and strapped it around her body. Her fingers searched across the papers, before her fingers seized some reports and she thrusted it inside her pouch.

"Meeting" he said simply. Sakura nodded, for once not complaining as she gave Neji a half-amused and tired frown. "We'll visit Chiyo afterwards" she said, before unlocking the door and shutting it behind her. Neji began to walk beside her, their shoulders gently grazing against eachother as a chilly breeze came past, causing the sand to stirr a slight around their ankles. "Why do you like sleeping?" he suddenly asked. He had noticed that Sakura had taken more and more breaks to escape to her room and to sleep. It perplexed him greatly, and worried him as well.

"It allows me to immerse myself into my dreams" she stated simply. Neji was taken aback at the answer-he had expected to hear that she was tired and such, but never that. Sakura ignored his questioning glances, and began to quicken her pace. The meeting was starting within two minutes now, she could tell by how Neji nervously looked around. Sakura could see the meeting building hovering on top of her body, and as soon as her foot stepped in-the mask was slipped on.

Her bright eyes were dull, a steely emerald as she dressed herself in the Hokage robes. The two necklaces hung around her neck, sheilded by the cape as protection as she stepped inside the meeting hall, ignoring the prying and calculating eyes of the council. Temari gave her a small smile, and Sakura noticed that Chiyo's seat was empty. A shrill bell rang, and the meeting began as the sound of crisp papers being shuffled across the table.

"We are gathered here today, upon a remarkable discovery" the council head began. Sakura quirked a brow, suddenly interested as she leaned forward. "Uchiha Itachi has written a letter, addressed for Haruno Sakura" he said. There were hushed, shocked voices rising. Her eyes widened as a brown folder was placed in front of her. Opening the folder, she took out two pieces of paper with calligraphy handwriting and a signature at the end.

Her emerald eyes scanned through the letter. Reading thoroughly, she promised to study it later as she placed it down and sighed. "I trust you have not read it?" she asked. The council head shook his head, his dull eyes exposing honesty. Sakura nodded her head, folding the letter carefully as she slipped it inside the folder. "What are you planning to do?" he asked. "I plan to read it today, council head before investigating the letter for fingerprints" she said. The council head nodded, satisfied with her answer as the bell rang and the short meeting ended.

Sakura shook off her robes, eager to visit Chiyo and fill her in with the details before heading back to her hotel room to do some work. Then, she could check her squad's reports on the whereabouts of Uchiha Itachi and the clues he left, before her day would end with dinner at a resturant with Neji and possibly Gaara. She noted that Gaara wasn't in the meeting, and her brows furrowed with worry as she called for Temari.

"Where is Gaara?" Sakura asked, concern evident on her face. Temari hesitated for a moment, before leaning in to whisper in her ear. "His doing mental theraphy for the Shukaku" she spoke in a hushed whisper. Sakura nodded her head, watching as the older Sand girl walk away in haste. Her eyes narrowed into slits as her figure vanished down the road, and she sighed-dissappointed that Gaara wouldn't accompany her for today.

"Is everything alright, Sakura?" Neji asked, upon noticing the cold look in her eyes. She nodded her head wordlessly, slowly trudging through the path towards the hospital. Did the Shukaku try to overcome him again? she thought worriedly. The thought that bugged her the most was: Why didn't he tell her earlier? She could have helped, Sakura knew she could. With Yomi and Jubi beside her, anything impossible was transformed into a great possibility.

But she'd have to deal with that later. For now, Sakura had to carry on with her plans and question Gaara tomorrow. Entering through the glass doors, Sakura and Neji ran up the flight of stairs towards the direction of Chiyo's room.

* * *

Beads of sweat trickled down the side of his cheek, down his exposed neck and dropped to the concrete floor which grazed upon his skin. Blood flowed through the cracks of the walls, and his pants became heavier as the heavy chains weighed his body down. Within him, a war was stirring out of control, the Shukaku disintegrating everything into blood-stained sand. Gaara hissed in pain, releasing a strangled sob as his tousled hair plastered on his skull.

He muttured curses under his breath, shaking violently as the pain rose and bubbled within his throat. The heavy chains enhanced with chakra kept him together-but not for long. It was only a matter of time before he would lose it, and feel Shukaku consuming him whole and destroy Suna to dust and ash. But he couldn't allow it, because he had gained so much respect and friendship over the few years that he treasured.

He was trapped inside a brick room, with a double-glazed window showing ten Suna ninjas, and Temari shifting on her feet nervously with Baki. Gaara howled in pain, thrashing violently as the door opened and Kankarou came in. His brother panicked, shouting and screaming curses at Baki. The older man remained unfazed, but he could see the beads of sweat on his forehead that he wiped.

Gaara struggled, trying to keep his compusore. Shukaku was sneering, screaming violently, spitting out it's venom and insults. The walls of his humanity were slowly shredding away, and before he could stop himself-Gaara released the most ugliest, inhuman cry that shook Suna so violently, some weak buildings began to fall to the ground.

"GAARA!"

* * *

The ground quivered, and a shrill cry echoed through the allies of Suna. All around her, villagers and ninjas screamed in terror, bodies paralyzed with fear as some buildings began to collapse. Sakura stood still, trembling violently as a single tear streamed down her face.

Gaara had lost.

Neji reacted quickly, scooping her in his arms before fleeing. Biting his bottom lip, his eyes were narrowed with such fierce determination it could rival Naruto's. Sakura released from his grip, oblivious to the fact that tears began to stream down her face. She needed to find Gaara. Neji stared at her in bewilderement, buildings falling around her as rubble and ash were pumped to the air, causing her to cough.

"W-we need to...f-find...Gaara!" Sakura cried, coughing. Neji ripped the fabric from his shirt, placing it around her mouth as he covered his mouth with his hands. They moved through alleyways, screaming his name to no avail. Desperation seized them both, and as they stumbled upon an alleyway, Sakura could taste her bitter, wasted tears. Suddenly, in amidst of the thick, dusty fog-Baki appeared, coughing and spluttering. Never before had Sakura seen the impassive man desperate.

"Come! Gaara needs you!" he said urgently. Sakura and Neji nodded, speeding through streets as more and more Suna ninjas began to evacuate villagers. Sakura wiped her tears, chewing her bottom lip nervously as they reached a half ruined building. Sakura's eyes widened, unable to fathom what she saw.

Oh my g-

"Sakura..."

* * *

His eyes were spinning violently, red blurred his vision as his fingers reached for her.

For her.

Stumbling on his feet, he began to walk. His skin was coated with dust and grit, but Gaara didn't care. Sakura stood in front of him, shaking and trembling. His finger grazed across her cheek, but Neji intercepted and sent him plummenting across the floor. Gaara released a shrill, ugly screech and charged head-first towards Neji's direction, screaming with so much ferocity, the ground trembled and shook.

Sakura was screaming now. Crying hundreds of her bitter tears that washed away the blood on his hands, as if they were purifying him. Her eyes spun, turning a shade of sapphire blue as her hands clasped around Gaara's and she placed her forward upon his. He could feel the slight shake of her breaths fanning his neck, and the pain suddenly vanished. His eyes opened, staring at Sakura.

A Sakura made of ivory and gold. Specked with golden dust. One eye emerald, the other sapphire.

Everything turned black.

* * *

Itachi and Obito stood, five feet apart perched up in a snow-capped mountain. Crimson eyes activated, staring at the scene which was a thousand miles away. From here, they could see the specks of dust and rubble rising from Suna's distressed state. Everything was in ruin, but just like a flame, it turned off abruptly leaving smoke and ash. From here, they could see her. Her wrapping her arms around the fallen Shukaku vessel and holding him tight.

Their sudden collarbation and appearance in Suna caused the Shukaku to go on edge. Their plan had worked in perfect harmony. It was only a matter of time did Sakura realize what the letter meant, and by then-everything was going to fall apart. But what stirred them was her transformation. Gaara wasn't the only one to see another part of Sakura. A part of her that held an auro of grace and royalty and power.

She was God.

It was a breif moment did they so happen to see her. Such beauty and grace that could rival a nymph, with an air of royalty and authority around her. She was a fine example of a budding rose. Full of potential, it's petals slowly opening to reveal something so wonderful and yet so destructive. Behind the orange mask and the impassive face, held a mixture of emotions that one could never fathom or fully explain.

They watched her, carry Gaara's fallen body with the Hyuuga boy beside her. In amidst of the rubble and grey atmosphere, she stood out with her fine red jumpsuit, a sleek black katana and those two necklaces that never failed to intrigue them. Obito fingered the rusty ring on his finger, and wanted nothing more then to make her understood. And remember the memories she once treasured, that were taken away by that bastard Third Hokage.

Their crimson eyes closed, and their figures vanished.

* * *

Her knees shook a large amount, but never once did she loosen the grip on Gaara's body. His head was burried in her neck, and she could feel his faint pulse and the warmth of his skin as she trudged towards the hospital which was surprisingly in one piece. Inside, it was chaos, full of dying and bruised people with several ninjas in need of medical care for critical injuries. At once, Gaara was given a private room, where he lay in the crisp bed.

The door opened, and Chiyo stormed in with a thunderous expression. A medic nin shuffled her feet nervously as Sakura dismissed her, before placing Chiyo down on a chair where she cursed under her breath. "Damn that wretched Shukaku!" she cried, staring with angst at the fallen Suna. Sakura gritted her teeth to prevent her from chiming in with the barracade of insults, and placed a hand on Chiyo's shoulder.

"Stop it. Gaara needs some rest, and I'll volunteer helping rebuild Suna. I'll send a message to Konoha requesting some help as well, and several medic nins" Sakura stated. Chiyo nodded, relief washed through her face as she placed a wrinkly hand on Sakura's. "Silly me, worrying myself to death while your thirteen and sorting out everything" she said with clear admiration. Sakura's cheeks burned pink, and she requested some paper and ink immediatly to write the letter.

A table was placed inside the room, where Sakura wrote in clear, calligraphy handwriting a letter to Tsunade. She strapped it around an eagle, placed a kiss on the bird's beak for luck before letting it loose from her grasp. Remembering the letter Itachi wrote to her, she took it out from her pocket and spreaded it out on the table. Chiyo peered, eyes widening at the signature as she hissed.

"I knew it. That damn Uchiha is bad luck" she whispered. Sakura snorted, brows knitted in concentration as Baki, Temari and Kankarou entered the room. All held a sullen look, dirt smeared on their clothes and fingers full of dirt. Sakura looked up, and could manage a weak smile to break the tense atmosphere as Temari fought the urge to cry. "Is he going to be alright?" Temari asked, sibling love filling her heart as her voice wavered.

"He'll be fine. Just exhausted from Shukaku. He'll be in a breif coma though" Chiyo said in a grave tone. At the mention of the word coma, a tear rolled down Temari's cheek as she sighed. Sakura wanted some answers on why this was happening to Gaara-because herself and Naruto never experienced something like this, but figured it wouldn't be the right time to do so. Since Temari looked like she was ready to burst into tears at the mention of her brother's name.

"Report" Sakura said curtly. Baki cleared his throat, standing upright. "Suna ninjas have been sent out. Villagers have been evacuated and are staying at a nearby village. There are a total of twenty eight deaths from fallen buildings, thirteen villagers, fourteen ninjas and...one baby" Baki whispered the ending bit. There was a moment of silence as Sakura felt tears roll down her cheeks, and felt Neji squeeze her hand comfortingly.

Even Baki had a crestfallen face on, and it didn't take any genius to hear that Sakura began to cry.

* * *

The hotel was one of the many survivors of Suna's fallen buildings.

Around it was rubble and dirt. Not a single flaw was on the building. It was like it was unaffected at all, flawless and clean. The hotel had been transformed into a place where homeless ninjas could stay until their homes were once again built, except for her room and Neji's. Stepping inside the airy and strangely clean hotel room, Sakura sat down on the chair and took out the letter. She could not concentrate reading an important piece of document in such a busy atmosphere inside the hospital.

Tracing a finger across the letter, she began to read:

_I apologize for ruining your two month stay in Suna with my sudden appearance, but you must understand that I mean no harm at all. I merely wish to cause an unnecessary stir,_  
_nothing more and nothing less. You could say I want to keep you distracted from things that are none of your concern. I understand you attachment to my younger brother, whom I trust is in the care of Orochimaru. Please forgive me of my rudeness but you mean nothing to my younger brother._

_Your friendship is admirable, with the Kyuubi vessel and such. My interest is that you keep clear of Sasuke's path, and let him do as he pleases. Believe this or not, I am looking forward to our fight. A fight that will consume us both, and rewrite history to settle things of importance. I greatly understand your concern for him, and for that I greatly admire your worry for him._

_But don't stumble upon things that you do not understand of, because it will cause a rapture in your heart. The Uchiha History is twisted and cruel in many ways, starting with the Curse of Hatred that began with a legend who has fallen so hard in the ground. I enclose several handwritten documents of the Uchiha History, and I trust that you hide it away from prying eyes. Those documents alone could buy ten mountains._

_Thank you for reading. And it is not necessary for seeing if this letter has fingerprints, because I am sure it does not have any except yours._

* * *

Neji entered her hotel room, only to stumble upon Sakura laying across the floor. He panicked, checked her pulse and heart which was beating steadily and carried her to her bed. His worry for her increased as he recalled the number of times he had found her in the same position. Placing the warm covers around her body, he sat down on the edge of the bed and pushed her hair out of her face.

There was a single letter on the floor, and Neji recognized it as the letter Itachi had written for Sakura. He stood up and picked it up, wondering if he should read it or not. But before he could even think, Baki entered the door with a worried frown on his face. "We need some extra help, Hyuuga-san. I'm sure Haruno-san will be fine" Baki said in a curt voice. Neji nodded his head, following Baki out of the hotel room and outside.

The streets were slowly being cleared away from the rubble. The meeting building had fallen down, the only remains were the ashes and sand of the once proud building. Fortunately, nobody had been in the meeting building, so rest assured that all of the council were safe. The buildings that did survive were transformed into parts of the hospital since it was so crowded and housed homeless ninjas and such.

He followed Baki towards a white tent, where a meeting was held with all the council present, including Chiyo. Upon noticing that Sakura was not with them, an angry cry was released from Chiyo's lips. "Is Sakura hurt?" she asked. Neji shook his head, explaining to her that she had fainted due to exhaustion. The explanation was taken, and no further questioning was involved as they discussed what to do for future events.

"What shall we do with Gaara?" one of them asked fearfully, terror in his eyes. At the mention of his name, they all fell silent. These were the moments that Sakura was needed for her opinions and such, Neji thought as he keenly observed their reactions. Chiyo looked grim and serious, hands twisting knots of her robes and holding an impassive face that could rival Sakura's.

"If word spreads out that this destruction was caused by Gaara, his chances of becoming Kazekage are non-existent" one of them said gravely. The council head and Chiyo curled their lips in disgust. "That was not caused by Gaara. It was caused by the monster within him. Indeed, he is very, very brave for trying to battle his own demons. Unfortunately, he lost but what do you expect? He is nothing but a child" Chiyo said, her words dripping with wisdom.

The person who spoke flushed a deep red, mumbling excuses as the council head sighed. "At times like these, does everyone agree we need the Hokage?" Chiyo said dryly. There were a few chuckles and nods, and it was at that moment did Neji realize on how many people truly did respect Sakura. He wished that she was here, because though she was barely eighteen-Sakura could spark up a logic that none of them could. She'd be able to handle things such as this immacutely.

"Hyuuga-san, please go check if Hokage-sama is awake. We need her" the council head said, his voice urgent. Neji nodded his head, turning around as he ran out of the white tent.

* * *

Sakura found herself in a room designed as an elaborately wrought golden bird cage, sitting in a silk divan with cushions and golden tassles. Yomi sat in front of her, legs crossed in a casual yet sophisticated manner. There was an empty golden goblet, beads of ruby red wine the only trace that there had been something in it. Sakura watched as Yomi opened his eyes, revealing two crimson eyes framed with thick lashes.

The harsh light of the sun made his features look more sharper. His jaws and cheekbones could cut through glass, and his beauty was otherworldly and rare, posessing great charm and elegance to it. Yomi sat up, gazing at her intently as he clicked his fingers. A masked lady dressed in white appeared, and poured wine on the golden goblet before vanishing in golden dust. Sakura watched him carefully, drinking the wine before placing it back down.

"What do you do here when I am not around?" Sakura asked. Yomi blinked, leaning against the wooden divan lavished in velvet and silk. "I usually fall into a deep slumber, Gaia. Or amuse myself to my own delights" he replied. She lifted a brow, suddenly fascinated as she leaned forward so her arms propped up against the mahogany table. "What delights?" she said, eyes wide with curiosity. Yomi chuckled, bringing the goblet to his lips as he sipped it.

"I am a perfumer and a creator jewels" he paused for a second, a distant look on his eyes before he countinued. "Jubi prefers to upgrade the golden palace and the water gardens as best as he can, and fight the dark side of his own mind" Yomi said. Sakura digested the information in silence, nodding her head as she watched Yomi click his fingers once again. This time, the masked lady placed a tray on the mahogany table covered in mauve silk before disappearing.

Yomi lifted the edge of the silk, before throwing it away. Sakura gasped in wonder at the extrodinary sight, clucthing her chest as her virdian eyes widened. On the silver tray were small pieces of a jewelled bird collection, made of pure gold or ivory, encrusted with jewels. The twisted bottles full of perfume that Yomi gently dabbed against her wrist, which was such a wonderful smell it expelled any traces of melancholy from her soul.

Everything was just to priceless for her to even touch. She wondered how many more Yomi had made of these, and lifted her gaze to meet his. "What is your greatest masterpiece?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. Yomi chuckled deeply, his velvet voice sounding so melodious and sweet harmony to her ears. He gazed out from the bird cage that was idly floating in one of the water gardens, and his gaze was staring at the palace.

"The golden palace. Made of ivory, brass, marble and gold" he whispered. Sakura was shocked, needless to say. She had thought that the palace was made by Jubi and his wonderful imagination, but never knew that Yomi did it. But it really was a masterpiece: the golden palace, or Pheonix Palace as Yomi fondly calls it, was as big as a sparkling city, connected by corridors and such. Just staring at it could take your breath away, and one could simply fall in love with the beauty and exterior of the palace.

"But...I am working on another" Yomi said. Sakura tore her gaze from Pheonix Palace and stared at Yomi in a mixture of confusion and excitement. "One completely identitical to Pheonix Palace, except..." he trailed off. Sakura gave him an annoyed look for not countinueing, but did not question any further. Instead, she stroked the golden ornaments and the perfume bottles with care.

"It shall be underwater" Yomi finished. Her finger halted, and she could feel her pulse quicken, out of beat and out of time. Raising her gaze, she stared at him in wonder. How on earth was he going to accomplish such a task? she thought, bewilderement etched on her face.

"Tell me, is everything an illusion?" Sakura asked suddenly. Yomi stared at her long and hard, his gaze challenging as he shook his head. "It will be made true or not, by orders of Jubi since he is of course, the creator" he whispered. She didn't respond, instead she looked away. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders, and it was only then that for the first time did she realize that her attire had not changed.

"Why make a palace for the sky and underwater?" Sakura asked, not meeting his gaze. Yomi chuckled, placing the mauve silk over the silver tray full of precious ornaments and perfume bottles. Before he clicked his fingers and dispelled the whole illusion, he leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"To complete my masterpiece, Gaia. I shall never rest until I succeed" he replied with so much passion it startled her. Sakura smiled, enjoying the idea of having a palace perched up in the sky and under the water. Yomi was a genius of a generation, and it was such a shame that his talent was unknown. She watched as the masked lady appeared again, taking the tray before vanishing.

Suddenly, the water consumed the bird cage and pulled it down. But it hardly affected her and Yomi, who remained unsoaked and still dry. The bird cage floated, a cluster of mythical sea creatures tugging on a golden rope towards a large space. Here, there was an empty space surronded by shells encrusted with diamonds and underwater trees full of exotic fruit and rich water herbs. Sakura held her breath, watching as Yomi pointed to the large space.

"That is where the palace will be" he said. A stream of light came through, causing soft rays to illuminate the wonderful place. Sakura was blown away by the sheer beauty of the mythical, graceful sea creatures and the surrondings. Walking through the sand, she caught sight of a hundred butterflies hiding underneath a pearl encrusted rock, flapping their delicate wings.

"What will it be made of?" she asked, sitting down underneath a tree. All around her, multi-colored fish swam past, unalarmed by their sudden appearances. Yomi stood beside her, his hair slightly brushing against the sand as he gave her a faint smile. "It will only be made of glass and ivory" he said, sitting down beside her. Sakura was captivated by the whole thing, and she closed her eyes and tried to imagine a beautiful palace that could rival Pheonix Palace. The thought seemed impossible, but with Yomi-he could make it possible.

"It shall be called Atlantis Palace" he said, smiling. Sakura stared at his face, fascinated by his beauty as she watched him look thoughtful for a second. "I shall make one more palace after this one. That way, everything shall be complete-Pheonix Palace, Earthsea Palace and Atlantis Palace" he whispered. Sakura was entranced-she always wondered how Yomi's mind worked, and was suddenly entranced by how he thought. Yomi once explained to her that Jubi was the one who created the water gardens and the lavish furnishings, but they had come to an agreement that Yomi should make the palaces. How excited she was to see his masterpiece!

Yomi explaining that he was a perfumer and a creator of jewels intrigued her. How did he make such wonderful, priceless things? How badly she wanted to watch him work, his hands crafting a beautiful gem or a fragrance that could stirr you in the brick of insanity. But Sakura had guessed Yomi was those type of people who liked to show their work, but never show how they did it. Secrecy brought romance to one's life, as Yomi once said.

"How long will it take?" Sakura asked, feeling the tree sway gently with the water. Yomi looked thoughtful for a second, as if plans and blue prints of his masterpiece were slowly processing before he turned to smile at her in an elusive way. "It takes me fourteen moons to do so. Less if Jubi helps, but I never let my brother do so. He gets carried away" he said with a half-amused expression that spoked of history with Jubi. Sakura chuckled, standing up as she looked around her.

Suddenly, a golden carriage with twelve dolphins strapped in golden leather came, and Sakura slid in the upholstered, red velvet seats as Yomi sat in front of her. The carriage began to move swiftly through the water like a knife, before the surface broke and the carriage began to float on the water. The dolphins vanished in silver dust as a great pheonix stepped down, spreading it's wings as Sakura and Yomi climbed on the back of the pheonix.

"Jubi" Sakura whispered, stroking the golden feathers of the majestic creature. The pheonix flapped it's wings in response, before taking flight towards the golden palace. It gleamed like a polished jewel against the amber orange sun. They flew inside the entrance of the golden palace, where the pheonix changed into a much more smaller size and perched up in Sakura's shoulder, it's neck adorned with rubies and precious gems.

They made their way towards a vast parlour, full of priceless ornaments and gilded mirrors. Sitting down on a wooden divan adorned with deep purple silk embellished in golden tassles, Sakura watched as two clay pots were placed on either side as snakes slithered out. In the background, a soft pipe was being played, and Sakura watched as a masked lady placed a golden bowl full of fruits and grapes on the triangular table.

Yomi sat in front of her, in an identical wooden divan as he pulled out a cigar and puffed out a ring of smoke. His cloak was gathered around him in sumptous folds, and his hair was brushed back into a low ponytail. On the golden table, it was full of Yomi's jewelled and golden ornaments and perfume bottles. Sakura eyed it, much aware that a snake was slithering up her body and wrapped around her head like a crown. The snake posed no threat, because Yomi had promised her no harm would come to her inside this world.

"You look very much like an Egyptian Goddess" Yomi said, narrowing his eyes as he inspected her. Sakura met his gaze, a faint smile on her face as she felt the snake wrap around her body. Her attire had changed, which was a chiffon, pale blue skirt with golden buckles and a bejewelled corset. Indeed, she did look an Egyptian Goddess. Sakura stood up, and she could feel the snakes dropping from her body and slither back inside the pots.

She sat on the plush carpet, bringing a bright red apple to her mouth as she bit in it. The minute she bit the apple, the illusion vanished. Her soft body fell on her bed, and everything turned dark.

* * *

Neji released a strangled breath, before twisting the brass door knob and stepped inside Sakura's hotel room. She was sprawled across her bed, bedsheets tangled around her and her pink hair framing her face. Neji panted, approaching her quietly as his hand brushed against her shoulder and he shook her body. Slowly, she stirred, making a soft noise before her eyes fluttered open. Their eyes met, and Sakura gazed at him in a way that made his heart hammer.

"The council needs you" Neji said breathlessly. Sakura blinked, before he pulled her up as she slipped on her boots and grabbed her katana that lay on the floor. Neji's eyes scanned around, before he gently folded the letter from Itachi and several reports and tucked it under his arm. Sakura stared at him, releasing a yawn as she rubbed her neck. "Let's go" she said after a few moments of composing herself. Neji nodded, and they jumped out of the window in unison.

They ran, chakra pumped in their feet. After what seemed like hours in her own world (which was only twenty minutes, time worked different in her other world) Sakura felt more energetic and alive, and against Neji who trying quite hard to keep up with her speed, she was a pink blur. Within a few moments, they reached a large white tent where the council was waiting with anticipation. Dressed now in her Hokage robes, Sakura stepped in and the noise subsided into a halt.

Sitting down on an empty chair, she watched as the council head shuffle a couple of papers before clearing his throat. "After this incident, Hokage-sama, what do you propose we should do?" he said. Sakura stared at the council with an impassive face, her mind calculating a couple of scenarious before she clicked her fingers. Neji gave her the letter and the reports, and suddenly it was made all very clear to her.

"Due to Uchiha Itachi's appearance, the Shukaku had been troubled. Uchiha Itachi must have gotten closer to the Shukaku, causing the monster to explode into a fit. We can frame this on Uchiah Itachi, since I have some evidence on the letter of his" Sakura said, smirking at the end. Of course it was so like Uchiha Itachi to cause a big distraction for her to keep her away from his beloved little brother. Uchiha Itachi was indeed a smart man, unfortunetly he was petty against her knowledge she gained due to Yomi and Jubi.

The council stared at her in a mixture of shock and awe. Chiyo was smirking though-half expecting Sakura to outsmart them due to her prodigy skills. "I shall handle this situation very seriously, so other villages will not be troubled if they want to sign or form an alliance" Sakura said. The council head nodded, pleased with the outcome as he puffed a ring of smoke from his wooden pipe. "Anything you wish Hokage-sama that might help you?" he asked earnestly. Sakura nodded her head feverishly.

"Please take me to Gaara" she said.

* * *

He sat on a plastic chair, the harsh light showing the black lines underneath his eyes and the sullen, weary look. His hair was dishevelled, clothes replaced by cheap hospital robes and several bandages on his arms and legs. Gaara stared into the blank, white wall, releasing a weary sigh as he looked down on his hands, curled into fists in his lap. Ever since Shukaku had taken whole of his entire body, Gaara had been placed under maximum security with over twenty elite Suna ninjas and Baki himself.

His ears perked up when he heard the slight muffled voices, before the door opened and Baki entered-with Sakura behind him. She was still dressed in her Hokage robes, except the hat was held in her hands as Baki nodded before exiting the room. They stared at eachother for several moments, their gazes challenging before Gaara tore his gaze away from her and to the wall. He was frightened-scared that Sakura thought him of a monster, that he'd have no friend anymore to hold him.

But instead, when he met her gaze again, he was shocked to find a tear rolling down her cheek, her Hokage robes discarded and placed aside. "Are you okay?" she whispered, approaching him as she knelt in front of him. His eyes widened, and he watched more tears run down her cheeks as she stood up in front of him. Sakura wiped them away hastily, releasing a small chuckle as she sighed.

"I'm getting this shit sorted out, Gaara. I've got it all figured out" she whispered, leaning against the wall with her neck craned upwards. Gaara stared at her in bewilderement-he had expected many things, a slap, an insult, but never did he expect her to save him. Warmth spread across his chest like wildfire, and he was grateful to have a friend like Sakura. She smiled at him, fishing out a small key as she unlocked the chains draped around him.

Gaara stood up in shaky knees, beads of sweat forming as he nervously chewed his bottom lip. Would he be sneered at by the ninjas and the villagers? Would he be hated? Would that chances of becoming the next Kazekage turn to non-existent. Gaara despaired, but seeing Sakura's confident mood, he mustered up enough courage to exhale sharply and step out of maximum security ward. Baki handed him his clothes, and Gaara was led to the bathroom where he changed before meeting Sakura in the reception area.

"Why?" he asked in a shaky voice, fingers trembling. Sakura smiled at him, standing up from the leather seat as she brushed off the hair from his face before wrapping her arms around him. Gaara held his breath, feeling the warmth from her body radiate to his.

"Because your my friend" she whispered.

* * *

His voice turned to a deep chuckle, fingers poised midair with his crimson eyes staring at the view. Posing as a local builder from the neighboring village which offered help to rebuild Suna, Itachi strolled amongst the shadows disguised as a plain, elderly man. His crimson eyes turned jet black once again, his silver hair scraped back as his wrinkly hands lifted a pile of rubble. From here, he could see Sakura talking to Gaara and Neji.

He was indeed much impressed that Sakura had solved it all, except for the tiny mistake on not including Obito. This whole ordeal could increase Itachi's status and distract her, but of course-Sakura had probably worked that out too. For a breif moment, his coal black eyes met hers, and he could feel his heart drum with anticipation. But she tore her gaze away, turning around to talk to Chiyo and the council head before nodding curtly.

Itachi watched as she walked away with Neji and Gaara for interrogation, before he sunk to the shadows. His work here was complete, within a matter of moments he'd share the information with Obito. His jet black eyes turned crimson for a small moment, before he vanished in black smoke.

* * *

Sakura sat, cross legged on the floor of her hotel room with Gaara in front of her and Neji beside her. She had promised the council head and Chiyo to ask several questions for Gaara, before she had to go off to the library to study the reports and letter to frame Itachi flawlessly. Sakura cleared her throat, her mind going through the questions before she met Gaara's gaze. His eyes darted around nervously, and she smiled at him for reassurance.

"I just need to ask you to answer these questions. Ask me if you have any difficulty" she said. Gaara nodded, taking a pen from her as he started to fill in the blanks. It struck him how easy going she was, not at all like the interrogation men he had encountered who were cold and grim, repeating questions over and over again to see if you got nervous. But Sakura was making idle chatter to Neji, chuckling a bit as her fingers drummed against the floor.

Neji watched Gaara's hands move swiftly across the piece of paper with detailed description. He paused at the last question, brows furrowing with confusion as he met Sakura's gaze. "What does 'Did Shukaku felt alarmed before the process' mean?" Gaara asked. Sakura gently took the paper from him, lips whispering the question before she sighed.

"Because you are the holder of the Shukaku, I'm confident you can sense his emotions and know his thoughts. Did Shukaku feel alarmed before he took over? Did he sense any chakra that alarmed him greatly to try to take over your body?" Sakura asked. Gaara paused for a bit, much aware that the Shukaku was now growling. It was clear that the Shukaku was alarmed by Sakura's knowledge about tailed beasts, which greatly confused him because information like that was strictly confidential.

Slowly, he nodded his head. "Shukaku felt uneasy, growling often and saying things like 'his near'. I'm not sure who 'his' is clearly, but I can tell it was somebody that Shukaku greatly displeased of" he said. Sakura nodded in satisfaction, writing it down in the piece of paper as she smiled. Gaara felt slightly uncomfortable, never before had he told somebody that Shukaku spoke to him in his mind. In the corner of his eye, he could see Neji looking shocked and slightly surprised at his answer.

"Thank you for your cooperation. This information will come in great handy" Sakura said, offering him a quick smile as she stood up. Gaara stood up, placing the pen on the desk as Neji gave him a calculating stare. But Gaara could hardly care if he thought him a monster, the most vital thing was finding out why Shukaku tried to overtake his body and that Sakura didn't view him as a monster. They exited her hotel room, walking through corridors full of nurses and ninjas.

Stepping out of the hotel, they briskly walked towards the temporary lab. The poison factory had been crushed to the ground, which greatly disappointed Sakura. She had preserved thousands of her poisons inside there, and all her effort and long nights of staying up late was wasted by one flick of Shukaku's tail. Though she tried to hide it, every time she walked past the ruined poison factory, a flash of bitterness would overcome her face.

Inside the temporary lab, Chiyo was bent over, eyes squinted as she wrote furiosly. At the sight of Sakura, Gaara and Neji-Chiyo smiled pleasently at them, and eyed the piece of paper in Sakura's hand.

"I've cracked it Chiyo. I've got a brilliant plan to frame Uchiha Itachi-and none of it will be Gaara's fault" Sakura said excitedly. Chiyo heaved a sigh of relief, placing the pen down as she stared at Sakura with great respect. "Your shaming the council Sakura. Only thirteen, and yet your solving all our political issues. They're afraid of your power" Chiyo murmured, tucking a strand of silver hair behind her ear. Sakura shrugged her shoulders, placing the piece of paper down as she inspected the rows of tubes full of poison.

"So, what is your brilliant plan?" Chiyo asked. Sakura shot her an elusive smile, eyes sparkling full of mystery. "I can't tell you Chiyo. After I've done it, I'll tell you" she replied. Chiyo looked crestfallen, scowling as her thin lips pressed into a faint smile. "Do you need any help?" she asked. Sakura shook her head, pink tresses falling over her shoulders as she grinned at her. "I'm working solo, Chiyo. With aided assistance from Neji and Gaara" she replied.

Chiyo laughed, the sound rippling across the lab. A breeze came flying past, and the tent flapped gently as a gust of sand swirled around their ankles before settling down. All around the desk were pots full of herbs and plants, poisons and several documents with the word 'Confidential' across it in bright red.

"I'll visit later, Chiyo. I just need to go through phase one to complete my plan" Sakura said, flashing her one last smile before exiting the lab. Outside, Gaara and Neji stood, giving her the faintest of smiles as they watched her pause in the middle of the street. Sakura sighed, rubbing the nape of her neck as she wondered what to do. First of all, she needed to scout Suna for clues and the possible whereabout of Itachi. After that was finished, she'd have the whole afternoon analyzing her plan.

She nodded in satisfaction, sighing again as she felt the awaiting gazes of Neji and Gaara. Turning around, she smiled at them before puffing her cheeks. "Spread out, I want to find as much clues as possible. When you have found one, toss this in the air (at that moment, she gave them two packets of paper bombs fused with purple smoke within) and call my name" Sakura said. Gaara and Neji nodded, clutching the paper bombs before they headed towards different directions.

Sakura sighed, a determined smile evident on her face as her feet started to move and she began to run.

* * *

A/N: If your one of the readers that have been reading Chapter One all the way up to now, I LOVE YOU! I hope this satisfied your expectations, and sorry if I was a bit slow on updating. Please also check my Wattpad account, there is a link on my profile.


	28. Chapter 28

It seemed like her luck had drained down.

Wiping a bead of sweat forming on her forehead, Sakura fought the urge to scream in annoyance as phase one of her plan didn't go as smoothly as possible. Finding no traces or clues whatsoever in the past few hours, she began to doubt about her plan. Seething with rage, she angrily clawed the ground as sand dug deep in her nails. Neji approached her from behind, looking half amused as he gently gave her a bottle of water.

"Thanks Neji" she muttered, taking the bottle before hungrily sipping it. Neji sighed, feeling the sun's rays warm his skin as he wiped sweat from his forehead. The heat was unbearable here, it seemed like by every passing minute, the heat would increase an incredible amount. His clothes were plastered to his skin, the hems of his shirt soaked in sweat. Neji was repulsed by the amount of sweat he had, and every time a rare breeze would come past, he'd realize how much disgusting odor he radiated.

Sakura took no notice, also sweating with her hair tied up in a high ponytail and wearing a black tank top and shorts. She had discarded her jumpsuit and gloves a long time ago, but her katana was still strapped around her back. She sat in the sand, panting slightly as sweat glistened her body. A breeze came past, and she smiled in appreciation before jumping up.

"Any progress?" she asked in a flat voice, not really expecting much. Neji shook his head, watching disappointment control her features. He watched as she sat down on a nearby bench, and sat beside her as he idly stared out into the beautiful scenary. Much to his surprise, Sakura rested her head at his shoulder, and Neji could feel the warmth of her skin melt onto his form. Neji watched as her eyelids slowly closed, and he realized that she looked exhausted beyond belief.

Her eyes suddenly snapped open as she heard the footsteps of Gaara, and she sat up instantly. She opened her mouth to say something, but Gaara shook his head and she sighed heavily. They weren't making any progress for the past few hours, which greatly upset her but it wasn't Gaara and Neji's fault-it was just that Uchiha Itachi was good at hiding. Even the letter he had given her did not have any clues, and was useless except for the words.

How did Itachi know she had grown a bond with Sasuke? He wasn't in Konoha, unless he was spying. She blinked, and it seemed like everything made sense now. It angered her how Uchiha Itachi could act like a big brother and be all protective of Sasuke when he was the one who caused him heart ache. Sakura furiosly seethed with rage, growling under her breath as she gritted her teeth. Gaara and Neji stared at her, amazed by how quickly her mood could change as she stood up abruptly.

"It's off. I'm going" Sakura whispered, walking off as her legs strides in quick movements. Neji trailed behind her, and Gaara watched as their silhouettes faded into the background before he sighed and stared down at the ground, bitterly disappointed that he didn't make any progress today to help Sakura.

* * *

The water rushed down, soaking her thoroughly as she raked a finger through her now wet hair. Sakura felt a trickle of water run down the side of her face, and she sighed. Disappointment was something she never really took well, and Sakura was upset that she did not find any clues today. She could feel her eyes sting with tears of frustration, and wiped them away before splashing water on her face.

Stepping out of the bathtub, Sakura wrapped the towel around her and stepped inside her bedroom. She changed hastily, wanting nothing more then to jump on the comforting bed and let Yomi whisk her faraway so she could forget about today's lack of success. At that moment did she realize how bitchy she sounded, and Sakura felt guilt wash through her. She had been bossy with Neji and Gaara, taking them for granted as they agreed to help her willingly.

Sakura promised herself to say sorry for her appalling behavior, and hoped they didn't mistake her curt, sharp statements for bitchy remarks. She despaired, and could not go to sleep as she unchained the lock of her mind and let her thoughts run wild and free. Sighing, she stopped chewing her nail and sat at the edge of her bed, pulling the pillow to her lap as the clock ticked by-the only noise cutting through the expanse of the silence.

She sighed, her eyelids closing for a brief moment before she sprawled across the bed, blocking the world with her pillow as the sheets gently rustled. The curtaisn swayed as a breeze came whistling inside, and Sakura shivered before pulling the blanket over her body. Letting out a final yawn, she let a dark abyss take over her senses and whisk her away somewhere else in the midst of her mind.

* * *

Neji stood outside her wooden door, staring at the golden plaque as he could hear her gentle breathing and sighed. He had been worried and angry with himself that he could not benefit Sakura by finding clues, and had wanted to speak to her when he realized she was already asleep. He turned around, slipping a key inside his own hotel door and stepping inside the dim room. Rubbing his bleary eyes, a yawn escaped from his lips and he sighed deeply.

His room was modest and simple, with a bed, a wardrobe, a cabinet and a bathroom. Sakura's was grander and much more vast, though she hardly cared for such things. His bed creaked and groaned at night when he would move, and it would keep him awake for hours upon hours. It was humiliation for him to sleep in such a room when he bore the Hyuuga name, but Neji couldn't complain. It was better then none.

Taking a step closer to the window, Neji pushed it open and leaned against the window sill. A faint smile flickered on his face as a calming breeze came past, threading through his locks as he quietly counted the number of days until he and Sakura would leave. One week left. One week until they'd return to the safety of Konoha, and one more week until Sakura would have to travel to Kirigakure and a number of other villages.

Neji leaned back, drawing the window closer as he only let a medium gap for the breeze to come in. Kicking off his shoes, he quickly changed before diving into the bed and staring at the blank ceiling. If he concentrated enough, he could hear her steady breathing and the rustle of the sheets as she moved. A fond, tender and genuine smile spreaded across his face as he turned to his side and slowly closed his eyes.

In the background, a silhouette crept closer and closer, until the edges of his fine, ebony hair brushed against Neji's cheek. He leaned in, crimson eyes wide and full of malice, before he withdrew his fist and punched it against Neji's skull. The satisfying crack broke the silence, and his scream was muffled before his eyes rolled over and his mouth was left agape. Obito smiled beneath the orange mask, fighting the urge to rip the boy's hair out before vanishing in crimson smoke.

* * *

It was all calm at first and enjoyable, before Yomi let out a dark, harsh hiss that made her jump in her seat. He rose from the wooden chair, looking livid as he unsheathed his sword. Sakura craned her neck to see what she was looking at, and let out a small, shocked gasp. A grotesque creature with dark, dripping blood that left a trail across the grass was coming closer, and she could not help but wrinkle her nose in disgust and shiver.

"What is that?" she hissed, watching the reflection of the monster at Yomi's blade. "His a wandering soul from Jubi's dark side" Yomi replied, before swinging the sword that cut through the neck. The monster wailed, before disappearing in grey ash as the sword lay on the grass, soaked in black liquid. Yomi clicked his fingers, and the sword vanished before he turned to her. Sakura watched as he poured some tea on her cup, and she muttered a soft 'thank you'.

From afar, she could spot the Phoenix flapping it's flame-like wings towards them, limping weakly as she noted half of it's body seemed like it had been burnt. It's eyes were not the wonderful shade of blue, but red with small, yellow veins popping from it's elegant head. Yomi cursed, softly taking the Phoenix as it curled in a ball on it's lap.

"He has been fighting his demons" Yomi whispered tenderly, looking grief stricken. The Phoenix flapped it's wings, and thrashed wildly in pain. Sakura held her breath, watching as it tilted it's head to the side and let out a small, pleading cry. Sakura could feel a hot stream of tears of sympathy for the Phoenix as she felt like a part of her was slowly wilting away. She gave Yomi a confused glance, and he sighed. "Jubi is a part of you. If he is hurt, you are hurt. If you are hurt, he is hurt" Yomi said, stroking Jubi.

Several golden feather dropped to the floor, and she watched as it vanished. Wincing as a trickle of blood ran through the pheonix, Yomi sighed heavily and stared at her with a grave expression. She winced slightly, watching as the Phoenix vanished in a swirl of golden flames as it flapped it's majestic wings streaked with ruby red blood. It vanished into the horizon, and a heavy silence was bestowed upon them.

Sakura released a heavy breath she didn't know she was holding in, and dropped her arms beside her. There was an air of hostility around Yomi that quickly evaporated when she poured tea inside his golden goblet. He murmured a soft 'thank you' before drumming his fingers against the mahogany table. It seemed like the edges of the rooms became dimmer and dimmer, until all colour was wiped out and it was only her and Yomi sitting together in a soft velvet mat.

Her heart beat was rippling through her chest and she felt like she was trapped in a small space. Yomi beside her seemed hostile and stern, drumming his fingers impatiently across the mat before wisps of smoke started to appear. A dark, flickering shadow of an abnormally tall, hunched up figure rose up from the ashes that swayed gently side to side as if it were keeping up in a beat. Sakura watched it, alarmed with wide eyes as a shiver ran up her spine.

It was only when a single, large crimson eye that sported ten dots that she realized it was the Jubi's 'human form'. Jubi was taller then Yomi, with thousands and thousands of raven feathers stuck to his body and his long talons gleaming as if it had been polished. Yomi stood up, and much to Sakura's surprise, threw his arms over Jubi who fell limp. It was then that Sakura witnessed a brotherly compassion between the two, and her heart softened a great deal.

"Jubi, stop hurting yourself like this" Yomi hissed through clenched teeth. Jubi didn't met his eye, instead he twisted his head away and stared off at the distance. "Don't let your dark side conquer you. You are brave, my brother. Keep on fighting" Yomi said in an encouraging voice. But Jubi let out a soft wail, and a tear slipped down that dropped to the floor.

"I am so tired of fighting, Yomi. I am so tired of fighting with myself" he whispered. Sakura met his gaze, and they stared at each other, never tearing their eyes away. Sakura saw the vulnerability in his eye, and knew then that the Jubi she used to know a long time ago who haunted her dreams and gave her so much pain and grief was Jubi's 'dark side'. Yomi had explained to her that the illusions and the water gardens and the palace was a way of saying sorry.

Jubi walked towards her, and Sakura felt no fear as he outstretched a hand. She took it gently, and saw the striking difference between his jet black feathery skin and her pale hand that had grown a few shades darker due to the heat and the sun of Suna. Sakura stood up, smiling at Jubi that made him chuckle. Yomi watched, looking faintly happy that his brother was now normal again.

"How are you enjoying yourself, Gaia?" Jubi asked, his voice smooth. "It's wonderful. Yomi has told me ambitious plans to create two palaces. One underwater, one in the middle between Pheonix Palace and the soon-to-come Atlantis Palace" Sakura said in an excited, hushed voice. Jubi smiled faintly, which looked rather odd as it exposed sharp teeth. But Sakura wasn't truly alarmed or disgusted, instead she was perfectly fine with it.

The illusion vanished as the three found themselves sitting in plush separate red velvet mats with golden tassles and a mahogany table in the middle with three sets of ornate cups and a large teapot full of tea. Sakura found herself wearing a light, silk lilac dress which gathered around her chest and was loose around her body. Yomi sat cross-legged, his sword placed beside him. It was only Jubi who looked slightly the victim of discomfort, shifting in his spot.

They were floating in bamboo boat in a sea full of stars that had roses floating on the surface, idly moving when a wave would come flowing by every now and then. The sky was rose gold, and she could faintly see Pheonix Palace that gleamed since it is made of gold, ivory and marble with ornate and elaborate architect. Yomi poured tea in all of their cups, and as they began to drink-Sakura realized that Jubi wasn't even raising the cup to drink the contents.

It was because of those long talons, she thought with slight pity. She could only imagine the great frustration of not picking up anything with talons without breaking them. "Jubi, do you want me to help you drink your tea?" Sakura asked in a soft, kind voice. Jubi was taken by surprise, and he hesitated. He nodded, but seemed hostile at first as she stood up to kneel beside him. Against Jubi, Sakura felt small like a fragile leaf against a majestic oak tree. Raising the delicate cup, Jubi tilted his head forwards a bit and Sakura raised it against his mouth. He sipped tentatively, and had a mixture of surprise in his face.

"It's quite good" Jubi said, nodding in appreciation as he thanked her softly. Sakura grinned, feeling as if she had broken a barrier between her and Jubi and exchanged glances with Yomi. A few extremely pleasant hours passed by, floating in the ocean while drinking tea and making idle chatter with the occasional, natural and comfortable pauses. "I think it's time I shall depart" Sakura said, looking faintly sad. Jubi and Yomi nodded, slightly disappointed before Yomi gently brushed his fingers across her forehead and everything went dark.

* * *

Chiyo was feeling old.

The thought had never passed her name. On numerous occasions when she thought of Tsunade and her fine complexion that was all because of her jutsu. But now she felt as old as the lines across the poison factory, as old as the dusty scrolls in the library and as old as the dried, stubborn cracks on the sandy roads of Suna. She was still stuck in her hospital bed, feeling the sheets stick to her skin uncomfortably. She had already requested for a fan to be put near her and the door and window to be wide open, but Chiyo felt like an egg in a frying pan-sizzling away.

"Medic?" she called out. Nobody responded. Grumbling to herself, Chiyo scrunched her face up in determination and threw the covers away to reveal her skinny legs sticking out from the hospital robe. She took a deep breath, before standing up and stumbling outside of her hospital dorm. Cursing under her breath for her weak hips, she leaned across the door frame and tried to walk.

Down at the corridor, she spotted a swirl of pink and waved her arms frantically before falling sideways to a cushioned chair. Chiyo slumped on the chair, and Sakura came racing towards her-looking worried as her forehead which was usually smooth as a lake, was now full of ripples.

"Chiyo! You shouldn't be doing that" Sakura scolded, but held a faintly amused half-smirk for Chiyo's determination. Chiyo frowned, cursing under her breath. "Fucking medic, won't even get me a drink in this bloody weather" Chiyo said. Sakura blinked, before releasing a laugh as she shook her head and walked off. She returned, with a glass full of cold water as she smiled at Chiyo. Her jumpsuit was half open, revealing her black tank top with her hair fashioned in a high ponytail with her two bangs framing her face. She still sported her boots and silk, see through pink socks and black fishnet arm protectors and black, fingerless gloves with her katana strapped behind her.

She looks like a rogue, Chiyo thought dryly as she took in her appearance. Back in her golden days, Chiyo liked to fool herself that she had been as smart like Sakura and also quite beautiful. Sakura was stunning, she had never met a girl with pink hair and vivid, virdian eyes. But Sakura was the type of girl who could care less for her appearance, unless it mattered. When Chiyo was young and fresh, the ninja clothing had been restricted and old-fashioned. Nowadays, young kids were sporting bright colors and even girls had the audacity to walk around half naked. But Sakura looked fresh and decent, adding sophistication to her youth.

"A prodigy" Chiyo said aloud. Sakura shot her a look, but didn't pester further. Chiyo decided to change the subject to save herself from the humiliation. Not that she minded talking and explaining to Sakura for hours, she enjoyed the girl's company. "So, how's the search?" she asked politely. It was then that Sakura's mood changed, and she looked down, grumbling.

"Not a success. We couldn't find any clues about Itachi, it's like he just vanished!" Sakura cried in frustration. Chiyo let out a chuckle, patting Sakura's back. In truth, Chiyo had been surprised that Sakura had not made any progress. It only took Sakura several hours to discover something that the council spent ages on. And besides, Chiyo had a lot of faith that Sakura would crack the confusion in no time and send Itachi with several bruises and most importantly-a bruised ego and a lesson to learn to never mess with Sakura and Suna.

Chiyo had a lot of suspicions. Ever since Itachi had been spotted, she had feared for Gaara's and Sakura's safety. She was frightened that they would take Gaara's Shukaku from him, and had thought that Itachi had grown close enough to trigger Shukaku's outcry. For Sakura, she was frightened that he'd steal her away and fashion her into a cunning criminal. Nowadays, more and more exceptionally bright, prodigy kids were being stolen and forced into criminal groups to do their evil deeds.

"I have faith that you'll find it. I trust you, Gaara and Neji will commence on your search?" Chiyo asked. Sakura nodded wordlessly, sighing as she leaned against the cushioned chair. Chiyo wondered how Sakura could be so good at battle and extremely flexible when she had never seen her train before. She wondered what she was like, and tried to imagine ways of her fighting style. Sakura looked like the type to make a grand entrance and slide into a menacing, swift attack. But she was full of surprises, and even Chiyo and her brilliant imagination could not fathom what the likes of Sakura could do.

"When will you be discharged? I want to have tea with you one day" Sakura said with a thoughtful expression. Chiyo favored the idea of spending some quiet time with Sakura and discussing things like the weather over a cup of tea. God I sound old, she thought warily. "I have no idea, and frankly I am quite annoyed that none of the medics are giving me information about my health and my state. I deserve better care then this, and god knows how they treat the other patients. Like I said, Suna's medic field is extremely low and poor to the point that it is quite embarrassing" Chiyo said. For an old women, Chiyo had the lung capacity to talk for ages and ages. She reminded Sakura a lot of Naruto, who could never shut up even if he tried.

"Konoha can offer some medical supply. Now that Tsunade's our Hokage" Sakura offered. Chiyo sighed, looking at her with pride. "Honestly Sakura, what would we do without you? Giving us better water supply, controlling Shukaku and now solving this Itachi case. You are brilliant" she said. Sakura turned a few shades darker then her hair color, and looked away before rubbing the nape of her neck.

"Oh shush Chiyo, I really don't want an ego the size of a mountain" Sakura said in a teasing manner. Chiyo chuckled. This is what she absolutely loved about Sakura, how she never treated her like an old adult. She hated it when people acted all soft and kind, it made her feel ancient like the stubborn, dried up cracks across the pavement. "Thank you Sakura. Where is Gaara and Neji?" she inquired. Sakura shrugged her shoulders, sighing as she slumped her shoulders forwards.

"Neji didn't respond when I knocked on his door, and I didn't want to disturb him so I left. I think Gaara's training with Baki, I'm not sure" Sakura said, chewing her bottom lip. Chiyo nodded her head in a grave manner, and a medic walked past and gasped.

"Chiyo-sama! You shouldn't be out of your bed!" the young medic cried.

"You should have responded to my bloody needs then!" Chiyo shrieked.

Sakura laughed.

* * *

He cracked an eye open, feeling slightly frightened as he touched his paralyzed skin full of dried, cracked blood. Neji winced, trying to sit up only to scream loudly in pain. A tear slipped down and rolled down his cheeks, and he fumbled with the covers before throwing it aside. He closed his eyes, trying to concentrate what had happened last night but could only focus on the metallic taste of blood inside his mouth.

His sheets were stained with blood, and his head throbbed painfully. Neji sported a large, purple bruise on the side of his head and a black eye, but he didn't see that yet because he had yet to see his reflection. Hearing footsteps down the hall, he groaned and tried to fathom words to cry for help when a scream escaped from his mouth. But the scream was rusty and crooked, and it vibrated from the walls as he strained to get a grip.

He could feel dry patches of his blood forming on the fabric of his skin, and let out a shudder of disgust. Sighing to himself, he pondered on his thoughts. What had happened last night that led to this outcome? Was this a first sign of some sort of warning? He tried to focus, but the pain and the throbbing of his head was screaming for attention. Wincing, he tried to sit up only to fall back on his back. Crying, he squeezed his fists tightly and let out a strangled breath.

"S-Sakura!" he whispered thickly, trembling. The sheets collapsed on the ground with a rustle, and he clenched his jaw before trying to sit back up again. His throat was sore, and it was hard for him to speak. With trembling fingers, he hoisted himself up from the bed and stumbled on his feet-feeling very much like a baby taking his first few steps. Walking slowly, his hand was just about to grasp the golden door knob when he fell on all fours.

His frame slid down on the door, and he groaned in pain. Turning around, he knocked on the door, banging and smashing his fist in order to create some sort of noise. He heard footsteps down the hall, and bashed his fist even harder against the door, screaming with his croaked voice. The door opened, and a Sand ninja stared down at him-clearly mortified as he shouted down the hall for help.

A group of ninjas came, and seeing the sight of Neji-they all winced. Hoisting his weak body in a carrier bed, they hurriedly headed for the hospital. Trying his best to sleep, Neji wanted nothing more then sleep to rub on her so she could forget the pain and the misery. But he couldn't, his mind was swirling with questions and worries despite his best efforts to clear his brain in order to not strain his mind as much.

They were nearing to the hospital now, which looked incredibly packed and crowded. But the crowd parted for them to walk through nonetheless, whether it was the sheer and pitying sight of Neji or the determined ninjas who carried his body, Neji was nevertheless thankful for the outcome. A medic came to inspect him in a middle of a hallway, wincing and flinching ever so slightly at the sight of him.

Naturally the medic tried to ask him several questions, and Neji would've gladly answered if it were not for his blocked throat. They took him inside a private dorm since he was obviously here with Sakura, the substitute Hokage and only then did Neji realize he had a few perks on his position now. He wanted nothing more then to see Sakura and know that she's not in the same position was he was.

He winced to think of that negative thought, and dismissed it. The medics left him alone for a breif second, before a fresh-faced and much more younger medic came carrying a tray with a glass of water and several pain killers to lighten his mood. After that, Neji was stuck in a screaming silence that made him feel uneasy. He sensed another presence in the room, and peered through his heavily bandaged face.

The medics had said he suffered from a fractured skull, which they had done most of the repair. It was only up to his body to respond to the tablets and the repairing of his damaged brain. Taking a few painkillers, he gulped them down with the cup of water and immediately felt light-headed. Sighing in relief, he lay down at the bed and snuggled closer to the canvas pillows. A few moments later, when his eyes were on the verge of closing and shutting him off from the world-the door opened.

Neji groaned slightly, rolling to the side to find Sakura panting heavily with tear stained cheeks and disheveled hair. "Neji! Oh my-are you okay?" she asked with worry evident on her face, rushing to him. Neji nodded his head, sitting up as she paced around the room. Sakura's one true great weakness-her compassion, was soon to be either the downfall or her success. Neji hoped success.

"Neji I'm so sorry for not being here earlier, Chiyo-she needed me" she said with a concerned smile. It seems like everyone needs Sakura nowadays, Neji thought dryly. "It's fine, I could've been worse" he replied softly in a low, husky voice. Though the water and the painkillers helped soothe his voice, his throat was still burning like somebody had shoved down Sakura's poisons in.

His mind was buzzing with unsolved questions, and it pounded to a rhythm he couldn't fathom. Sakura felt a tear slip down her cheek, and she hastily wiped it away before clutching his hands. Neji stared at her as she bowed her head sullenly against the edge of his bed, her chest heaving up and down as she tried to calm herself down.

"I'll find that person who did this to you Neji, I swear to Kami I will" she whispered, meeting his gaze yet again to show fierce determination gleaming in her emerald eyes. She squeezed his hands one last time, before she leaned in to close the gap between them. Gently, she brushed her tender lips against his forehead.

* * *

Gaara stared off ahead, his expression aloof and impassive. He had always felt peaceful watching the sky and doing nothing, but something was bothering him. Something was stirring inside of him, the same small reaction that triggered his outburst. Looking around, he could already see the various improvements of Suna and saw more and more buildings being built. The roads were all clear now, and there were more shelters for the homeless villagers.

He had felt guilty for being the cause of everybody's distress, and found it hard to believe that Sakura, Baki, Chiyo and the council still wanted him to be the next Kazekage. Swallowing thickly, he gripped the edges of his shirt and looked up at the cloudless sky that revealed the harsh Sun. Gaara he had to do something-anything-to pay back the kindness of the council for still having faith in him-even when he seriously doubted it.

Feeling dubious but more or less happier then his past state, Gaara wondered where Baki was. Baki had told him to meet him at the roof of the council meeting building, and it wasn't like Baki to be late. Gaara's features creased with worry, and he leaned over the railings to find Baki's unmissable figure. He took a small step back and let out a forlorn sigh, digging his hands in his pockets as he felt a calming breeze come past.

But the feeling was still within him. It felt like somebody had activated a seal, and it was opening bit by bit. Closing his eyes and seething with rage for not knowing information about himself, Gaara gritted his teeth. If only there was another vessel of a tailed beast, he thought, a wiser one that knew all about them-maybe they could help him. Naruto was off limits, the dobe didn't even know how to contain his Kyuubi.

Maybe Sakura? he thought with a hint of hope. But he musn't get his hopes up, because intel about tailed beasts are top secret and forbidden to reach ears in danger that it will spread for enemies to use. Gaara looked down at his dirty shoes, and felt a shiver run down his spine when he heard a faint, distant roar within him. The monster was shaking within him now, so much that Gaara fell to the floor on his knees, panting and sweating.

Cursing repeatedly over and over again, Gaara felt pain provoke his body from any movement, and his mind went numb and cold as he tried to fumble with a kunai. As his gaze slowly lifted, he saw a dark shadow flickering in the wind, and his eyes widened. But the shadow vanished in a swirl of black feathers, and Gaara grinded his teeth and let out a pained howl. The door slammed open, and Baki entered as his cape swished around him.

Gaara hissed in pain, and his vision had blotches of red as he gripped the kunai. Howling with rage, his scream arose and filled the expanse of the air-and Baki shouted for help. But his cries were distant in Gaara's ears, and all around him everything slowly faded in red fire. Seething with rage, the whole world went dark and it was only him standing in the middle, the kunia firmly in his hands.

He knew at once he was stuck in an illusion that made his mind spin in a whirlwind of chaos. The shadow flickered in the moonlight, but separated into two human forms that stared down at him-their faces unreadable and a blur in Gaara's vision. Panting heavily, he squeezed his eyes shut and felt Shukaku roar, and the painful vibrations throbbed through Gaara's veins. He was sobbing now, nothing more then a chaotic mess laying on the ground.

The two shadows stood, their faces showing a hint of cruel pleasure. Slowly, one of them unsheathed his gleaming katana-and Gaara felt himself hopelessly drown in a despairingly, dark abyss. With his back arched, he released a thunderous roar that sent vibrations spinning out of control. The katana shook slightly, but a flicker of light appeared from the edge of his vision. A stream of light clouded the room, as if Kami himself had appeared and set foot on human soil.

Green eyes lit up the room, and the two shadows were consumed by light. Slowly, the figure stepped forward-holding a katana encrusted with silver dragons. A wisp of pink hair floated around, and Gaara's eyes widened as he crawled to the figure with bloodied hands. He looked up at the direction of the light, and saw a sight that made him bow his head in appreciation of the wondrous sight.

Here was God. Here was Sakura.

* * *

Ohhhh...

SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED FOR AGES! omg, I'm a terrible person, but thanks everybody who have put in nice reviews! It's lovely to see you giving me soo much motivation. AND SAKURA KISSES NEJI'S FOREHEAD XD...BUT DO NOT WORRY **I REPEAT DO NOT WORRY THIS WILL NOT TURN OUT AS A SAKURA X NEJI FANFIC! I HAVE SOOO MANY PLANS FOR NEW GENERATION**


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